Hyper Danganronpa 21: DIAMOND DOUBLE BARREL
by ArcLagoon
Summary: The Sequel to XX 8 months after the 20th killing game has wrapped up, Japan is trying to return back to normal once again as a new semester of Hope's Peak begins with their lottery picked Ultimate Lucky Student. Pretty much immediately he gets stuck in a killing game with 15 other missing students kidnapped over a year and trapped in a 21-floor hotel. Rated M, for many reasons.
1. Prologue - Part 1

Foreword by the Author:

To the loyal fan(s)? I guess?

Welp, here it is I guess. I've had to rewrite it twice, the first time because I had an ambitious idea that turned out to be stupid... and the second time because I had an ambitious idea that turned out to be stupid. But I didn't quit, despite me being kind of a fickle person in general.

It took about 3 months to rewrite all the work I did, and a bout of depression that made the prolouge really difficult for some reason. And now I'm kicking the story out the door as it rolls face first into a ravine. The short version, regular updates will be returning shortly, but here's all of chapter 1 at once!

I reccomend reading Danganronpa XX first, because it's technically going to be a trilogy and continuity is hard.

Enjoy? Maybe get some ginger ale, this is gonna take a while.

Prologue: Helplessness Blues (Part 1)

_From: Junichi ( )  
_

_To: Dad_

_Hey dad. It's Junichi… since I'm sending this from my e-mail I just wanted to make sure you didn't think this was spam or something. I know you're still another year or two out from coming back from the United States since you're helping make that fancy skyscraper in Chicago, but I wanted to send you the good news, and you didn't seem to be answering me or Mom's phone calls._

_I won the draw. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student, dad! I'm outside the Hope's Peak gate right now! This building is way bigger up close than you see on TV. It's like 5 times bigger than that little middle school I used to go to. To be honest, I didn't really think I would end up being anything cool like the Ultimate Lucky Student. To be honest, I wasn't that cool in the first place… You always called me a dork for collecting model boats as a kid and I thought that was my peak._

_But now I'm here, heading to the best school in the country. I'm gonna make you and mom proud. I'd better get going, my new classmates are out on the grounds waiting for me. I'll call you when I get some free time. Hopefully this leads to me getting a job good enough so you and mom can retire early. _

"Doesn't seem like there's any typoes…" Junichi said before he hit the send button, taking his eyes from his phone and looking up at the gate over Hope's Peak, looking up at the massive building again. The towering school stood tall for centuries, the symbol of Japan's best and brightest coming together; Industry leaders, sports and entertainment stars, masters of arts, science, medicine, politics, all walked through those doors and joining them today...

"...is me." Junichi muttered to himself as he brought his eyes down to see students gathered around the school entrance, engaged in several conversations all at once. Some were meeting up with old friends to discuss plans for the school year, others were on the recruitment drive for clubs both new and old, a few of them waved to Junichi as they spotted him outside the gate with Junichi waving back. And finally there were the Ultimate Students, Junichi's new classmates. All the students were dressed in the standard Hope's Peak uniform and filing in by the dozens. On each side flocked dozens of stands with hobby clubs and people handing pamphlets.

Anime clubs, sporting clubs, cooking clubs, clubs for fandoms of certain TV shows and movies lined each side, each one handing out application forms. Junichi felt like he stuck out like a red haired sore thumb, wearing a ratty beanie with his messy red hair sticking out of it. He was wearing a black hoodie with a skull design on it and 21 emblazoned on front and a grey T-shirt underneath it. Along with a pair of jeans with holes in the knees, his old, tattered set of sneakers he got for his 14th birthday.

To put it simply, he just looked like some kid. Not a student to one of the best schools in the entire nation. Winning the Ultimate Lucky Student meant any of his onboarding fees for transfering to this school were waived, and his plain C grades were ignored, meaning he skipped both barriers to entry.

"Eh! It's Junichi Ando. Surprised ya showed up." A taller man with tied back cornrows said, patting Junichi on the back.

"You know my name?" Junichi replied, putting his phone away into his back pocket and looking at the uniform clad student.

"Of course I know your name, you won the contest, dummy." He said with a laugh, rubbing under his nose and looking down at the much shorter Lucky Student with a grin on his face.

"That was public?"

"It has to be public so other people know the drawing's over." He explained, gently punching him on the shoulder. "Anyway, I'm Togaka Maru. They call me the Ultimate Capoeira Fighter." He said, pointing a thumb to himself.

**Togaka Maru: Ultimate Capoeira Fighter**

"Uhh… Capoeira? Is that the dancy-fight thing? I think I remember that from Tekken." Junichi said, scratching the back of his head.

"That's the one! Slaves learned the art of teaching each other how to fight, while it looking like it was just dancing. Then they sprung it on owners by surprise, it's an artform in itself, dawg!" Togaka said.

"I thought you'd be mad a video game portrayed your fighting style." Junichi said.

"Dude, my style being in a video game is free publicity. My Mestre got a huge influx of clumsy and curious new students when they found out about it. There's nothing bad about that." Togaka said with a chuckle. "Anyway, you gotta stand around all day or are you gonna come join us?" he asked as he stepped through the threshold of the gate. Junichi nodded and followed Togaka, thinking about his fellow Ultimates.

Unlike the years before, Hope's Peak was a lot more open about the student roster on their website, so Junichi got to look up their profiles while getting ready for this day. He had seen Togaka's name on the website, along with some other Ultimates:the Ultimate Poet, the Ultimate Stenographer, Ultimate Blogger, the Ultimate Circus Acrobat, the list went on. Junichi felt like he had a cinder block in his stomach as he and Togaka were lead by faculty to the school gym. Junichi walked through the halls in silent awe, taking in the small sights as he was guided with the other Ultimate Students into the gym, where banners were hung up with "Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy!" across them.

"So, what are we doing here?" Junichi asked.

"Headmaster's assembly is coming up, I guess. Then we'll figure out what classes we're being assigned to." Togaka said with a shrug. "Until then, I guess we're mingling, yeah?"

Junichi shrugged and walked over to one of the students, beaming a friendly smile. "Uh… hey, I'm Junichi. Nice to meet you." he said to a girl with ghostly white skin and ebony hair. She looked to him with crimson eyes, a disinterested look spread across her face.

"Uh-huh. I'm the Ultimate Poet. You can call me Ayumu Kobayashi." she said. "Now stop doing that."

**Ayumu Kobayashi: Ultimate Poet**

"Huh? What thing am I doing?" Junichi asked, scratching the back of his head.

"You're smiling. It's bothering me." Ayumu said, grabbing at the small plastic skull dangling off her neck and turning it in her fingers. "I need my misery undisturbed by the oppressive joy of the rest of you, so quit smiling at me."

"Well, if you're gonna be like that… forget I ever said anything." Junichi said, annoyed as he turned back to the stage.

"Gladly… wait, no! Not gladly! You! You put this on me! A thousand curses spoken on faint tongues upon thee!" Ayumu shouted, pointing angrily at Junichi.

"..." Junichi just pretended he didn't hear her.

"Stop ignoring me!" Ayumu spat out.

Junichi just kept his eyes on the stage, ignoring the angry goth girl threatening eternal shadows on his soul as he waited for the headmaster to arrive.

Out through the curtain came a man dressed in a black suit, his brown hair combed but with a strand still standing patting at it to try and make it go down before just giving up and checking his microphone to see if it worked.

"Good morning, new Students of Hope's Peak Academy. My name is Makoto Naegi and I'm the Headmaster." he began. "Congratulations to all of you for qualifying to join Hope's Peak Academy, but don't think that means you're not gonna have to work hard and apply yourself like in any other school. Hope's Peak can open doors for the future, but it's always up to you to go through those doors. And it's important to remember that even if you don't have a talent, you can still do great things. I came into this school as the Ultimate Lucky Student and now I'm here as Headmaster, passing knowledge and guidance onto the next generation of Ultimate Students." he explained, giving a small nod to Junichi in the crowd. Junichi chuckled nervously and began to scoot his seat toward the back of the crowd.

Makoto's speech was suddenly cut off by a loud banging sound. Smoke began to fill the room as fire alarms began to ring closer and closer to the room, fire began to spread up along the walls and engulf the gymnasium in flames. The students bolted from their seats, running confusedly through the smoke, the sound of the doors being forcefully opened ringing in their ears, followed by footsteps. Junichi suddenly felt a hand clasp around his mouth, feeling a damp cloth under his nose. Junichi struggled, but the cloth pressed to his mouth made him more and more exhausted on each breath. He soon passed out in his assailant's arms, being dragged away as the flash of muzzles and the rattle of bullets ripped through the smoke.

Students screamed as they heard the fire of automatic weapons, some being struck and others tripping over their fallen classmates. Makoto leapt off the stage, running into the cloud of smoke in the hope of saving his students only to be struck hard in the side of the head and sent to the floor. "Stay down, headmaster…" one of the gas-masked attackers said. "We got a message for you."

"G-get out of my school." Makoto sputtered out, rubbing his head and slowly getting up, only for the assailant to stomp his head onto the floor, the man aimed his assault rifle at the headmaster in response. "G-get the hell out of my school!"

"This ain't your school anymore. This is HAVOC's school now. We're taking over." he said, bending down to show that his mask was emblazoned with the orange eye of HAVOC. "Go back to your office and wait until sundown. Don't speak to the police, or Future Foundation or anybody else unless you want another Future Crest on your hands." he warned before lifting his foot off his chest and firing a warning shot that landed beside Makoto's head.

Makoto gritted his teeth as he slowly got to his feet, his ears ringing from the shot, the masked HAVOC agent turning his head toward the door. "Get moving, Naegi." he said, Makoto wading through the smoke as the sprinklers kicked in to quell the flames. Students sitting in the corners of the room nursing gunshot wounds with a massive hole in the wall where the explosives they sent off was.

"M-Makoto!" A female staffer ran up to him. "S-should I call for help!?"

"...Just call in an ambulance, Rina." Makoto said, HAVOC agents shoving him to push him along to the exit. "I'll be fine."

"B-but you're surrounded b-" Rina was met with the rifle butt of one of the people escorting Makoto back to his office, sending his staffer to the floor. Makoto felt his fists tighten before he kept moving toward the elevator, pressing the call button. The doors opened and Makoto stepped in with four HAVOC heavily armored, heavily armed HAVOC agents surrounding him. There was an uncomfortable familiarity in the silence as the elevator lifted off toward the top floor.

"B. Lock the doors, break any communication devices you find within the headmaster's office. Fleece Naegi and destroy his cell phone." One of the agents ordered, Makoto suddenly getting slammed into the elevator wall. The agent rooted through his pockets and finally grabbed Makoto's cell phone, dropping it into the floor before grabbing a pistol off his hip and shooting the phone twice.

"Okay, I didn't mean destroy his cell phone _now_ but whatever, that's done. Weirdo." the agent said as the elevator dinged, the doors opening and the four HAVOC "escorts" pushing Makoto toward his office.

"A, should D and I go back and deal with the rest of the Ultimates? They'll know we were here." asked one of the agents with a woman's voice.

"If any of them feel like talking or stepping forward, put a hole in one of their heads. The rest will realize that's an example of what happens if they try to be brave. The boss wants this minimal casualties." The lead agent responded.

"That was just until we got Junichi and Naegi, though, right? We can take out the rest now that we've got them." another one said.

"No. We aren't one of our Daisuke's little band of malcontent psychos. We're gonna do the job and get out of here without leaving a blood trail." A replied.

"J-Junichi…?" Makoto asked as he stopped at the office doorway, B nudging him in with the tip of his assault rifle.

"Have a seat, Makoto." A said, Makoto reluctantly sitting at his desk. "We're gonna clean up and keep the rest of the school away from this room until a note from your beloved arrives. Until then, look pretty and do nothing."

Makoto nodded, the agents overturning the office to look for any potential ways for Makoto to reach the outside world before destroying them. B and D left the room, C walking over and locking the office door. "And now we play the waiting game…" C said, turning to face Makoto.

The hours passed slowly, Makoto watching the agents pacing the room in silence, hands gripping the arms of his chair as he continued to think about the students down on the ground floor, praying that they would be safe down there and that no one had set off the HAVOC agents.

Finally, there was a knock on the door, C turning and unlocking the door to allow a masked man in a dark blue suit to enter the office, briefcase in his hand. Makoto blinked and watched the masked man open the briefcase, pulling out a laptop and setting it up on Makoto's desk. The man opened the laptop and turned it on, the screen illuminating the room with an orange light from the HAVOC symbol.

"Hello, Naegi." A distorted voice spoke, flashing the orange light with the cadence of their voice. "I see you've met my muscle, I can look at your youthful face through the camera, it seems you've barely aged a year since your stint at Hope's Peak, huh?" The voice asked him with a chuckle.

"Why did you hurt my students?" Makoto asked.

"Easy answer to that. Who do you think I am?" The voice asked, taunting Makoto.

"...You're part of that group that dropped bombs on Kyoto, aren't you?" Makoto clenched his teeth, glaring at the pinhole sized camera on the laptop and at who was behind it.

"That's right. HAVOC finally makes its mark on Hope's Peak. We went after your students because I wanted the last player for my Killing Game. The 21st Killing Game, in fact. Ain't it funny that you and the Foundation you work with attempting to fix the problem only cause almost TWENTY more killing games? It's almost like you're doing it wrong." the voice taunted.

"...You were after Junichi, weren't you? You're the ones who kidnapped Saya Kiruma too, right?" Makoto asked.

"Heh, so maybe you're not as stupid as a thought you were, Headmaster. I've been waiting a long time to do this… To present true hope. Rio Daisuke was more debase. He was anger and chaos screaming into nothing. Unfortunately, he played his cards before I did, and blew up half a city as a 'fuck you' to the man." the voice said. "I've been gathering students from all over Japan for this extra special Killing Game. Maybe you can connect the dots on why this game is special."

Makoto sighed, sitting back in his chair. "H-how many more of these do we have to have!? These killing games don't do anything but make people hurt each other. Do you really need to make a 21st killing game!?" Makoto stated at the screen, running his hand in his hair and taking a deep breath to calm himself. "This world is bad enough, we have to focus on making it better."

"Well, Headmaster, you get to choose when this all stops. You run the damn school, you sponsor schools like it across the country. You can't just wring your hands and act like the killing games just started from the ether." The voice said with a bitter tone.

"They happen because of people like you!" Makoto snapped, slamming his hands on the desk. "You torture people because you don't understand they have families and lives! You act like people being happy is an act of spite against you!"

"...I kind of figured you didn't get it. Oh well. Here's what's gonna happen: You're my VIP, you get the box seats for this event. I know you feel left out after what happened to the Future Crest kids. So you're going to go down to the docks tonight by yourself. You'll shut your mouth, you'll get in the van. Tell Kyoko, the Future Foundation, or even your mom about this and we'll kill off the entire school. You don't want even more lives lost because of you, do you Makoto? Still wanna be the hero, Headmaster?" the voice asked.

"You're gonna make me watch." Makoto said.

"Sort of. You're my motive! I'm giving both the students of my killing game, and the Future Foundation an ultimatum. Let this killing game play out… or Makoto Naegi's execution plays live on TV."

"...Junko wanted us to live in that school for years once we resolved not to kill each other. Are you really thinking you'll have a captive audience once the students catch on? You're streaming it, right?" Makoto assessed.

"Newsflash, Makoto. We're not Junko. Junko was the Hope's Peak idea of Despair. She was all about misery and destruction without change. I'm making a mission statement, A2 is making a mission statement. We're not here to play." the voice said.

"What do you mean? I thought someone like her was your idol." Makoto objected, getting a low chuckle in response.

"She was a good template, but burned out her stay quickly. Junko lacked the bigger picture, she was too ill to have an actual idea. And let's face it, Makoto, you want us to be Junko again. Junko is safe, familiar. Junko is easy mode. You can break someone like Junko with just not doing what she wanted you to. It's like telling a dog not to chew your couch, it's like telling a baby not to drink bleach. HAVOC is something different and it scares you. It scares you because you don't know what they want or how to stop them. Which is fair, we're being enigmatic but that's because we don't want to make the same mistakes that Junko did. And sure, Rio Daisuke was a mistake, but we had to take people like him for the numbers." The voice responded, never once breaking the calm, mocking cadence.

"..." Makoto looked at the floor and shook his head. 

"It's like honing the knife to the edge. You take as many people as you can stomach and whittle it down to the ones who are actually useful. Rio was a psychopath, I'm more of a sociopath to be honest. I have things I want, and I know how to get them."

"What do you think you'll end up pulling off that Junko couldn't?" Makoto asked, increasingly frustrated by the mocking attitude.

"Really now, Makoto? This season hasn't even started and you want the big villain monologue right now? I'm not a cheap date. You gotta do something for me if you want me to give up my special secrets." The voice said, letting out a laugh. "Ruahahaha!"

"What do you want with me, then!? You said I was a motive. What do you mean!?" Makoto demanded.

"21 days. The killing game only has a time limit of 21 days, that's it. Once the killing game starts and 21 days have passed, your execution will be broadcasted publically. And as a cherry on top… We've got another nuke pinned on Hope's Peak. If I catch wind that you snitched, and I'm being investigated by your stupid friends, I swear that high school will be turned to glass." The voice warned.

"And hey… here's one for the audience. I'll tell the others this one later during the killing game. I'm playing too. It's kind of why I felt like I should obscure my appearance, nobody likes spoilers." the voice said.

"...Wouldn't you be killed? What kind of plan means you get killed?" Makoto asked, knowing all too well of that risk from the Final Killing Game.

"I'm willing to take that risk, I've got my wits about me and a message worth dying for. Now, we've wasted enough time. I believe it's time you take a walk, Naegi. Remember to sneak out the back entrance, you're not deserving of attention." The voice said, the screen going black.

Makoto stood up from his desk and closed the laptop in front of him. His hands were trembling as he felt his head spiral in thought. Makoto punched his desk again, before biting down on his knuckle.

"We're leaving, Naegi." A said, Makoto leaving his office and entering the elevator. Reaching the ground floor, they could see the sirens of ambulances and police. "Looks like someone called the cops. Get B and D. We're going through the back."

C nodded and headed to the gym, gathering the remaining agents before they escorted Makoto through the back entrance where a black van with darkly tinted windows was waiting. Makoto carefully reached into suit jacket's pocket while pretending to check his watch. He pulled out flashcards he had stuffed into his pocket for his speech along with a black ink pen. He had to do this all without giving the HAVOC agents any idea of what he was doing. He slid the pen in his sleeve and put his hands behind his back, writing on a flashcard before crumpling it and dropping it on the floor.

The agents threw him in the back of the van, two of them sitting and watching him as they drove off. The drive was silent, Makoto sitting and waiting for the van to come to a stop. Once the van stopped, he was brought out to the an all too familiar sight.

"You again…" Makoto said with a scowl.

"Heya, Makoto! It's been way too long since I've seen you, buddy! Puhuhuhu~"

**Hyper Danganronpa XXI: Diamond Double Barrel**


	2. Prologue - Part 2

Prologue: Helplessness Blues (Part 2)

Junichi was laying in the dark with his knees pressed to his chest and his head curled up against his body as he felt like he could barely move his thin frame within the confines of what he felt like he was trapped in. He pushed his legs, and it felt as if it was tightening against him in another place he wasn't pushing. That was until he heard a familiar sound.

"...A zipper?" Junichi asked himself as he continued pushing his body, hearing the rip of a zipper as a small crack of light hit him on the face. Using his limited stretching ability, he dragged an arm from under his body and pressed his fingers through the hole of the zipper, feeling around for the tab. Junichi finally pulled it, opening the container he was in. The crack of light then widened, Junichi feeling the pressure around his body lighten as he desperately pushed his arms and head out only to realize his body was packed into a luggage case.

"Huh… I was in a suitcase?" Junichi asked, looking around the room he was in. The walls were a striped cream and gold color, the floor covered in a deep red plush carpet. On the back wall were a wall of mirrors with two polished marble countertops with a deep set sink on both sides. There was a bed with checker patterns the same cream and gold color that matched the walls. In the corner, there was a camera with a small LCD monitor underneath of it, and across from the bed was a flat screen TV. There were two doors on opposite sides of the room, Junichi wondering which door to take when the door to go through when one of the doors swung open.

"Good morning, Mr. Ando!" said a tall, lanky young man who stepped into the room. He was dressed in a tuxedo suit, white on the right side and black on the left from the jacket to the pants and even the dress shoes. The man had a long, dirty blonde hair, wrapped into a ponytail, dark green eyes wide and staring down at Junichi. His face was covered in a carefully-trimmed goatee, which only seemed to emphasize his smile as he walked over to Junichi.

"Gah! Wh-what? Who are you?! What am I doing here?! Where am I?" Junichi asked in rapid-fire succession as the suited man roughly grabbed him off the floor by the scruff of his shirt.

"The name's Hojo! And you are a guest here at the Hanging Garden Hotel!" he said with a wide grin full of large, blindingly white teeth. Junichi furrowed his brow, sticking his hands back in his pockets.

"...So, we're in a hotel. And you guys delivered me to a hotel in a carrying case? Where's Hope's Peak?" Junichi asked, feeling very confused and uneased by Hojo's unblinking stare and widening smile.

"Why, you're not just in any hotel, Mr. Ando! You are in the premier hotel in all of Japan! We have it all here! Gourmet meals, winning big bucks at the MonoRajah Casino, lounging by the pool, taking in a show at the Monokuma Theatre, and all sorts of luxuries to make you go _Hojo~_" the man raved, head shaking like a malfunctioning bobblehead as his eyes darted across the room.

"...O-okay?" Junichi said, feeling increasingly uncomfortable at Hojo's presence. "C-can you back up a bit, please?"

"And if you ever need anything, just holler for the MonoStaff! Our MonoServants and MonoMaids are here for you!" Hojo continued to rant, grabbing Junichi his jacket and roughly shaking him. "Any questions, sir?"

"Can you stop moving? And what happened to Hope's Peak? Why are you grabbing me?!" Junichi asked, feeling like none of his questions were being answered.

"Don't worry about Hope's Peak, kid! Hope's Peak is for losers! You're a cool kid now! Just enjoy your stay here at the Hanging Garden, because you're here for life! Now, here's your key!" Hojo said, tossing a key in the air. Junichi tried to reach out to snatch it out of the air. Junichi failed to catch the key, having to pick it up off the floor.

"And doooon't forget your handbook, you're gonna love it, kid!" Hojo said, shoving a small, thin object into Junichi's hand.

Junichi looked down to see a rectangular device in his hand, looking like a small tablet in his hand. "Uh…"

"Cmon turn it on kiddo! It's not out of batteries or anything, it's solar powered! It's got games on it to pass the time! Pool! Bird dodging things! Ball Chess! That game with the stacking bricks!" Hojo shouted, Junichi covering one of his ears.

"Okay, okay! Just stop yelling at me!" As Junichi looked for the power button.

"It's a handbook, buddy! You gotta open it!" Hojo explained, flipping open the handbook's screen. The handbook started up with a soft hum, screen glowing a bright white as a digital render of a weird looking teddy bear waved, a text box appearing above it.

_Welcome, Junichi Ando!  
_

Several menus appeared on the screen; Hotel Map, Student Profiles, Truth Bullets, Regulations. Oddly, in spite of Hojo's insistence, the handbook didn't have a section for games. Stranger still, Junichi couldn't press any of the screens. "Huh… what's with this handbook, Hojo? Is it broken?" Junichi asked, Hojo shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, the menus are locked until all the students meet up! I suggest you head to the lounge on floor 18!" Hojo said, suddenly shoving Junichi toward the door. "Now get outta here ya… beanie wearing kid!"

"Okay, okay!" Junichi said, stumbling out of the room. He looked around to find himself in a long hallway with several matching doors. Each door was marked with a nameplate and a picture of a person's face, with a small slotted door on the bottom. Junichi checked the door of the room as Hojo shut it open leaving, seeing his name and face on the door. That meant that the room he was in was his… but why?

Why was he here? What happened to Hope's Peak? Were the other students okay? Who kidnapped him? Where was this place? All these questions swirled through Junichi's head until heard another door open. He quickly turned to see another young man go flying through the open door with a yell as he slammed into the door across the hall. Junichi watched a young woman, looking to be around his age, in a black-and-white uniform dusting both of her hands off and putting her hands on her hips. He attire looked similar to Hojo's, though with a miniskirt and heels in place of the dress pants and shoes.

"Did you have to throw me?" The throw-ee said, coughing from feeling his back smash into the other door. The MonoMaid simply turned and walked off with a huff, rolling her eyes. Junichi walked over to the tossed student bending his knees to get at eye level with him.

"Hey, you alright?" Junichi asked, offering a hand as he got a look at the young man. He had chin length brown hair, parted to the left side and matching brown eyes. He was wearing a brown leather newsboy cap on his head and was dressed in a suit jacket and a tie, but with a T-shirt underneath. His hands were covered by brown leather gloves, he had a pair of brown dress pants and matching slip-on shoes, a black satchel hanging from his shoulder.

"Yeah, just… kind of shocked at that reaction." He said, adjusting his cap so less of his messy hair was falling out of it. "First time I see a person in three months and it's a cute girl. Of course, I'd be interested. Can't blame a guy for taking a swing, can ya?" he asked, getting a small chuckle from Junichi.

"I guess not, but did you say you were in there for three months?" Junichi asked, getting a nod from the other boy.

"Yeah, I was just chilling out at the food court and then these dudes in masks just jumped me and dragged me off into a panel van. They started opening fire on the other people in the mall," he said, tightening his gloves. "It was crazy. They were blowing stuff up everywhere! Once they got me in the van, one of them put me out with a chloroform rag and I woke up in here."

"How did you survive for three months in here? Did they ever let you out?" Junichi asked. The boy turned his body toward the door next to him.

"You see that little door on the bottom?" he asked, lightly kicking at the door. The door violently rattled, startling Junichi slightly. "Every morning, afternoon and evening, one of the hotel's staff would come by and slide a tray of food through the door. I could always tell they were coming because the others would start yelling, screaming, pleading and demanding. 'What am I doing here? Let me go! Who are you?! I'll kick your ass! Why are you doing this to me? What do you want? Where am I? How long have I been in here?' I could go on but I think you got the idea."

"Y-yeah… so, how many are in here?" Junichi asked, the boy looking around the hallway, pointing at each door, muttering softly as he counted each door.

"Looks like… sixteen of us, if all the rooms are taken." The boy said, turning back to Junichi. "So, the cute waitress girl said something about a lounge. That's where we're all supposed to meet up, right?"

"Oh yeah, that's what the crazy guy in the suit said. I think, he just kind of yelled at me a lot. You heard him too, right?" Junichi asked, the young man shaking his head.

"Nope, the walls are soundproof from the inside. I can't hear anything in anyone else's room," he explained, before suddenly smacking his palm against his right temple. "Ah jeez! I almost forgot to introduce myself! Name's Touki Minami, Nijitaka High School's #1 Journalist! They call me the Ultimate Journalist!" He said, flashing a grin and pointing a thumb to himself.

**Touki Minami: Ultimate Journalist**

"Nice to meet you, Touki. I'm Junichi Ando. I'm supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student, but I wouldn't really consider this lucky..." Junichi said, voice trailing off into a defeated tone. "My school blew up and a guy choked me out, or something. I don't remember that well. Everything still kinda feels like a bad dream…"

**Junichi Ando: Ultimate Lucky Student**

Touki lightly jabbed Junichi on the arm. "Ow! What was that for?!" Junichi shouted.

"Nope, you're not dreaming," Touki said with a chuckle. "Anyway, we better get to the lounge. It's on the… 18th floor right?" he asked rubbing his chin in thought.

"Yeah, that's what Hojo said. So, there's probably an elevator down the hall." Junichi said, looking to the end of the hall to see a set of double doors, white and black with a curious symbol on them; a bear head, with a simple beady eye on the while door, and a jagged red eye on the black door, its smile being cute and inviting on the white door and sharp and intimidating on the black door. As the doors slid together, it made a full face, but as the elevator opened, it revealed the well kept, luxury elevator.

"Whoa! That's a big elevator; It looks like it can fit at least a dozen people! This really must be a hotel." Touki said as they stepped in. Junichi turned to the panel of buttons, pressing the "18" button. The doors shut as the elevator began its descent, playing the sound of marimbas over the speaker. The doors opened to another hallway, where one of the MonoServants stood in front of them.

"Ah, Mr. Ando. Mr. Minami. Follow me to the lounge." the servant said with a polite bow, turning toward the hall. The two followed the servant down the hall, entering through a door into the lounge. The room, much like the bedroom Junichi found himself in, was quite lavish. The floor was covered in grey tiles buffed to a mirror polish, some tiles replaced with a pulsating neon light tile. The walls were covered in a red velvet curtain covering all sides of the room.

There were signs in certain doorways leading to other rooms, but Junichi's eyes were drawn to the massive 144 inch LCD television mounted against the wall, with a 10-seat, rounded leather couch in front of it and a brand new gaming system at the front. On the sides of the room sat two smaller loveseats, on opposite walls 

An array of security cameras checked each door on the sides, along with a couple of smaller monitors underneath of them. There was also a few bean bag chairs strewn about, and vending machines for food, snacks, drinks, and what appeared to be called a 'MonoMono Machine' with a statue of a black-and-white bear riding atop a golden snake with rubies for eyes. The bear matched the same monochromatic theme that pervaded this whole hotel, its face drawn like the bear face on the elevator doors. Next to the television was an entertainment center with a rack of several video games, and a small coffee table in front of the couch.

"Holy crap! This place is awesome!" Touki exclaimed, his eyes lit up in excitement. "There has to be some kind of downside, though." He said, scratching the back of his head. "I can't afford fancy hotels."

"Yeah, who's paying for all of this?" Junichi asked, looking over the rack of games. "Are we on some sort of reality show where we have to compete for prizes? Is something in this room made of chocolate?" Junichi said, giving a side-eye to the door.

"I mean, most reality shows don't forcibly shove people into vans and keep them locked up in hotel rooms for months." Touki objected. "Also don't try to eat anything in here. I'm pretty sure nothing's made of chocolate. I don't want to see you lose your teeth on an assumption, dude."

"Yeah, good point. So, guess we just wait for the others?" Junichi asked, grabbing a small stack of games off the shelf. "How long do you think it will be before other people show up?"

Touki shrugged as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "Dunno, man. We probably should've waited for someone to get unlocked so we can time how long the interval between the doors is. So, what've we got?"

"A lot of Spike Chunsoft games… Fire Pro, Zero Escape but that's single player… What else?" Junichi said, tossing aside discs. "Oooh! Fatal Arena 3!"

"Oh, nice!" Touki exclaimed. "Pop that sucker in!"

As Junichi cracked open the case, the lounge door opened again. He turned around to see a young woman with long auburn hair, cut into an angular bob, skip lightly into the room, head down to monitor each tile before she made her next move. She soon brought her head up, tawny eyes looking to the couch where Junichi and Touki were looking at her, puzzled by her odd attire; a long blue dress patterned with constellations over orange suspenders with buckled straps, arms covered in multi-colored armbands with symbols printed onto the bands and purple velcro sandals on her feet. The young woman skipped her way to the couch.

"Greetings, humans," she said with a warm smile and a light wave. "I don't remember my name, but my host body is called Surumi Takeuchi."

"Hey, I'm Junichi Ando. And this is Touki Minami." Junichi said, pointing to himself and then to Touki.

"Wait, hold up. Did you say host body?" Touki asked, Surumi nodding her head.

"I did. You see, I am what your species refers to as an 'alien.' My race forms a parasitic symbiosis with other lifeforms, taking control of a host body." Surumi explained in an off-puttingly serene tone. "We latch ourselves onto their nervous system, taking control of their bodies," she said, Junichi and Touki turning to each other. Touki mouthed confused expletives to Junichi, who simply shrugged and turned back to Surumi.

"Wanna play Fatal Arena?" Junichi asked. Touki's face widened in shock, leaning into Junichi and cupping a hand over his mouth.

"Dude, don't invite her… she's weird." Touki whispered into his ear.

"People call me weird too, I kinda don't care," Junichi whispered back

"Ah, thank you, Junichi! I don't often play video games, but I wouldn't mind spectating for the time." Surumi said, skipping over to the couch before pressing her chest against the back of the couch, lifting herself over the edge and sliding stomach first to end up tumbling onto an empty seat beside Junichi. "Huzzah," she said cheerfully, Touki giving Junichi a concerned look.

"So uh… Surumi, you said your race hooks onto our brains, right?" Junichi said, figuring it wouldn't hurt to humor her for a bit.

"Mhm. My species requires specific nutrients to survive, so we absorb them through omnivorous lifeforms. We dominate the host body to better direct the flow of necessary nutrients and keep the host body alive to allow for continued feeding until our bodies fully mature." Surumi answered, awkwardly adjusting her body to assume a more natural sitting position.

"You're not gonna jump out of Surumi's ear and take over my brain, are you?" Touki asked, leaning back to avoid potentially being struck by Surumi's foot as she swung herself onto her rear.

"Oh no, once attached, our bodies cannot sever connection until fully matured or the results will prove fatal for both myself and my host," Surumi said, ripping apart the fastening of her sandal.

"Are you an Ultimate? I mean, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student and Touki's the Ultimate Journalist, so you're an Ultimate too, right?" Junichi asked, eyes flitting between the character select screen and Surumi. Touki reached into the satchel, which he had set down on the couch onto a plush version of that same black-and-white bear, and began rooting around.

"Oh wait, don't answer! I actually looked up the student roster for the year before I got grabbed. I think I saw her name on it!" Touki said, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded the paper and read, finger scanning each name. "Aha! There we go!"

**Surumi Takeuchi: Ultimate Astronomer**

"That's right! I've been charting out star patterns ever since this host body was small." Surumi said as she shook off each sandal. "It started since I had gained awareness of the world around me. I felt a strange distance from other humans. I didn't understand it growing up until I took to watching the night stars. I began noticing patterns in the stars, seeing similar patterns every night, so I would draw the patterns into notebooks. Since then, I've been charting stars, planets, and systems throughout our vast and ever-expanding galaxy until I can find my homeworld!"

"Oh… is that what the constellations on your dress are?" Junichi asked, feeling a strange comfort talking to Surumi.

"Ah! Good eye, Junichi! I knew there was a reason my host body felt drawn to you." she said happily before jumping up and performing a quick twirl in front of both boys, displaying the complexing patterns stitched into the dress. "Each of these constellations was charted by me. I also stitched the dress myself for special occasions, usually, I wear it for whenever I discover a new system or planet, but I decided to wear it for my acceptance into Hope's Peak. I was on my way to the academy when one of my chauffeurs put a cloth under my nose. I awoke in that room. Thankfully, my captor was mindful of my nutrient necessities and supplied me with adequate meals throughout, which kept my spirits up."

"Well, that's good, I guess…" Touki said. "I don't know about you, but I've been eating stale ramen for the last three months. Anyway, just lemme know when this rib is over."

"...Rib? Is there something wrong with your ribs?" Surumi asked, tilting her head quizzically at Touki. "Sadly, medical scanners of my species aren't available. It allows non-invasive biopsies and CAT scanning without having to use a giant magnet!"

"Okay, now I know you're messing with me!" Junichi exclaimed incredulously. "Either that or you've lost it being in that hotel room, but there's no way you seriously think you're an alien!"

Surumi's body suddenly went stiff and her eyes went wide, irises shrinking to small dots. "Think? Ehehehe~ But Touki, I _am_ an alien. That's a silly thing to say. Hahahaha~" Surumi replied, giving off a stilted, rhythmic laugh that increased in pitch.

"...Do you think this hotel has restraining orders somewhere?" Touki asked, feeling very unsettled as Surumi continued to laugh, her body starting to shake. Junichi quickly got up, moving in front of Touki.

"Uh! Er… What's with the sandals?" he asked, trying to think of something to distract her. Surumi's laughter quickly subsided.

"Ah, glad you asked, Junichi. You see, this host body is omnidextrous," she explained.

"That's not a word, you know." Touki objected, Junichi quickly covering his mouth.

"Look, I know what I'm doing. Just shut your face and I'll get us out of this bind. Don't dig your own grave." Junichi said in a hushed tone. Touki just gave an annoyed sigh, lidding his eyes and rolling them to the side.

"In the event that my arms are damaged or incapacitated, I can use my feet to perform tasks. I find it easier to remove sandals and they don't require socks to wear, so they're super functional for all my needs." Surumi explained, sitting back down on the couch. Junichi made a zipping motion with his lips to Touki before taking his hand off his mouth.

"Okay, so why take off your sandals now? I mean, you're not gonna try and play with your toes, are ya?" Touki asked.

"To tell you the truth, shoes make me uncomfortable. They feel like I've trapped my feet in cloth and leather." Surumi explained. "Sandals at least offer a feeling of freedom, but even then I'd rather not wear them if I don't have to. I hope you two don't mind."

"It's cool. If it helps you feel at ease," Junichi said. "We're in a bad spot anyway, no need to raise a stink over little things."

"Yeah, it's fine. I was just wondering, is all." Touki replied as he selected his character. He and Junichi played a few rounds before the door opened.

Junichi turned to see a young woman with a sunny, outdoorsy complexion and jet black hair tied into a wild bun on the back of her head, bangs roughly covering over her forest green eyes that had dark rings around each eye that gave her a tired expression. In contrast to Surumi's multi-colored mishmash of clothes she was clad in a black tank top with black leather harness across her shoulders, along with black combat gloves and cargo pants, and a big stompy pair of black leather boots that made her footfalls quite loud.

"Uh… hey. I'm Junichi Ando. This is Touki Minami," he said, pointing to Touki, then to Surumi. "And this is Surumi Takeuchi."

"Hey," Touki said, eyes going slowly along the newcomer's body.

"Greetings, human," Surumi said with a gentle wave.

"Hey. I'm Rinne Takayanagi," she said, eyes scanning the lounge as Touki as he checked his cheat sheet.

"Let's see, Rinne Takaya- oh crap!" Touki exclaimed, dropping his sheet in surprise and nearly backing into the table as he jumped off the couch.

"You alright, Touki? What's her talent?" Junichi asked, grabbing the paper of the couch. He quickly scanned for her name, eyes widening as he saw it written on the sheet.

**Rinne Takayanagi: Ultimate Black Ops**

"Ultimate… Black Ops?" Junichi asked aloud, Rinne nodding and walking over to the couch.

"Yep. I'm usually the bad guy in most places I go to." Rinne explained, leaping onto the couch. "I'd explain further, but most information about my life is classified and none of you have clearance. I'll just tell you that I'm a mercenary and leave it at that."

"Wait, bad guy? What do you mean bad guy?" Junichi asked. Rinne gave a quick chuckle.

"I'm pretty much trained from birth to be an assassin and I'm hired by the Japanese branch of the Illuminati," she explained.

"...You're messing with me." He said, blinking a few times.

"Nope. Okay, kinda. It's more complicated than that. But I've done some bad things, up to and including killing people. How are you?" Rinne asked coolly.

"Uhhhhhh… isn't that illegal?" Junichi asked, clearly distressed.

"Oh, it's super illegal. So, you playin' Fatal Arena?" Rinne asked, kicking her feet up on the table.

"H-how are you not in jail?!" Touki asked, backing away from Rinne.

"I said 'Illuminati,' dude."

"Yeah, but that doesn't exist!" Touki countered.

"Okay, so this isn't an exercise…" Rinne said.

"...Exercise?" Junichi asked.

"Yeah, my employers drop me into training missions that require me to complete an objective under certain conditions. I get bored doing them so I fuck around until someone corrects me." Rinne explained.

"And you thought we were… assailants." Touki said, staring dead at her. "Like… people trying to kill you as some kind of test?"

"Yeah," Rinne started. "But you two are just boring normal people, I guess. And Surumi over here seems like she's just in her own little world. I'm still totally up for some Fatal Arena, even if I liked the second game more." She said, trying to grab at a controller.

"And you expect us to act normal toward you after explaining you like... torture and waterboard people for the Illuminati?" Touki asked.

"Hey!" Rinne said, affronted. "I only did that once, now gimme a controller," she demanded, Touki nervously handing her his controller.

"So, you don't think you're on a mission?" Junichi asked.

"Not anymore. I mean, I got drugged, knocked out, stuffed in a van, carried here, and was jammed in a hotel room for four months. Now I was randomly let out, and I'm playing video games with two dudes and a girl who thinks she's an alien. Is that normal?" Rinne countered.

"...Well, no. That all does sound weird. I woke up stuffed in a travel case, I don't know if I was locked in for as long as either of you guys." Junichi explained.

"A travel case? Like that one movie?" Touki asked.

"What movie?" Junichi asked in response.

"Ehhh nevermind. It's just weird you woke up in a travel case." Touki said.

"Man, my neck still hurts thinking about it…" Junichi said, rubbing his neck.

"So, we're waiting for the others to be released, right?" Surumi asked, Junichi nodding.

"Yeah, how many do you think are left?" Junichi asked.

"Well, the student roster for Hope's Peak usually lists sixteen Ultimates. We've only met a few people so far… The thing I noticed, was we were all supposed to be in the same class, even though we were all kidnapped at different times, and never met." Touki said, double checking his list. "If I'm right, there's twelve of us left."

"Wait, Rinne," Junichi said. Rinne turned over to him. "Why would a high school take an Illuminati assassin to class?"

"I'm not book smart, duh," Rinne said, sneaking in a few quick shots to Junichi's character while they talked.

"But… Assassin!" Junichi objected.

"Hey, the government okayed it. I was supposed to get a fake Ultimate to cover it up to the public. Something like Ultimate Spider-Eater or Ultimate Outdoorsman." Rinne explained. "Also, I'm Black Ops. Not an assassin, there's a difference."

"What's the difference?" Touki asked.

"I can make you eat your own fingers. Also, I just beat Junichi." Rinne said.

"Huh? Hey, you cheated!" Junichi shouted, Rinne chuckling.

"Don't take your eyes off the screen." she countered. "That's how you get bopped."

"That was cheap! Rematch, now!" Junichi demanded.

"Heh, if you wanna lose again…" Rinne teased, sticking out her tongue.


	3. Prologue - Part 3

Prologue: Helplessness Blues (Part 3)

The light on the doorknob to her room began to make a ringing sound that caught her attention. "What…?" the young woman asked, standing up from her bed, reaching for a metal yardstick by her bedside. She clutched it in her hand and slowly approached the door.

This was the first time in months she heard that sound. The doorknob would ring when the door was going to open. Typically, only the bottom slot would open when it was time for her 'supper' so it meant someone was intending on opening the door. And she was going to try for an ambush.

"Stay calm, Saya… They can't suspect you're going to break out…" she said, turning to the mirror to make sure she could hide it behind her arm and back, setting the yardstick up against her shoulder. "I have to stand in a way that doesn't look like I'm holding something…" she muttered, looking at herself in the mirror.

She didn't look good. After about six months in this room, her hair was a mess, white locks framing her face in two low pigtails, hair strands coming undone and sticking upward. She rechecked the dresser, finding a brush to fix her hair. "Damn unruly strands… I look like a moron…" she muttered as she brushed, the strands continuing to poke out. She grumbled, knowing she would need scissors to deal with these.

The rest of her wasn't looking in great condition either. She had a crack in her glasses that she couldn't find a spare pair to fix, and her school uniform was starting to look faded and worn out from her wearing it every day. Her all-white attire had become discolored, her blue armband paling and her thigh high socks had begun to spring holes, defeating their purpose of not showing skin. Even worse, she was starting to get bags under her hazel colored eyes that made her look worn out and tired and made her otherwise long, but slender face look gaunt.

"Ugh, this is unacceptable!" Saya shouted, suddenly hearing the creak of the hotel room door. Saya quickly grabbed her yardstick, twisting the knob so the door was slack, then kicking a high heeled foot into the door, causing it to fly back and someone to squeak as they hit the floor. Saya marched out of the room, spinning her yardstick on her fingers as she finally felt a smile on her face. "Surprise! I'm out!"

"A-aaaahh!" exclaimed a young woman from the floor, covering her face with her hand. "I'm sorry! I was seeing who else had their doors unlocked! Don't hit me with your thingy!"

"...It's a yardstick." Saya said, setting it on the young woman's chin and using it to lift her head up to force her to look Saya right in the eyes. "More importantly, are you my captor?"

"Captor? N-no, I was locked in that hotel room for 8 months! I thought you might be the captor with you t-threatening me like this." She said, hugging herself to stop the shivering. 

"Absolutely not." Saya explained, carefully adjusting her glasses to get a better a look at the woman in front of him.

Her hair was as disheveled as Saya's had been, covering one of her purple colored eyes and nearly going to her hips in the sheer length of black, wiry hair. For some reason, it reminded Saya of a horror movie she's seen. She was dressed in a long white waitress gown with baggy sleeves, covered with a black apron with long white socks and brown loafers. Compared to Saya's long legged, but average figure, this girl had a shorter, but slightly too thin looking body that made her look sick.

"S-so, who are you and wh-why do you have that yardstick?" the woman asked.

"I am Saya Kiruma. I always have the yardstick." Saya explained.

"But… why do you have the yardstick?" she asked again.

"I ask the questions here, missy. What's your name?" Saya asked, tightening her hold on the yardstick.

"Ah! Izumi Igarashi! Please don't hit me!" she said, Saya pulling the yardstick away. "I was going to get a tour of Hope's Peak Academy and people kidnapped me and locked me in this room!" Izumi said, scrambling back to her feet. "A maid told me to round people up to meet at the lounge. I saw a couple of guys walking to an elevator and I wanted to see who I can take with me to the same elevator…" Izumi said, looking at the floor, too afraid to look her in the eye.

"Several men heading toward an elevator to a lounge…" Saya said, putting a hand in the front pocket of her coat. "Perhaps they were my captors. Igarashi, lead me to this elevator!" she demanded, pointing her yardstick at Izumi to lightly swat her shoulder.

"G-going! I'm going!" Izumi exclaimed, running toward the hall. Saya walked after her as they headed for the elevator. "I-I think the maid said something about the 18th floor. That must be where the lounge is…" Izumi said as she pressed the call button. The doors opened, the two stepping in. Izumi quickly pressed the 18 button. The elevator doors shut and the two began their descent to floor 18.

"So... you mentioned Hope's Peak." Saya said after a minute of silence. "Were you enrolled as a student?"

"Yeah… The school scouts for Ultimates early so they can put the class together early without scheduling issues. Last year, they picked the classes for this year… So I was enrolled to be the Ultimate Waitress, and to start this year."

**Izumi Igarashi: Ultimate Waitress**

"I see… I was also scouted for next year. Two years ago, my brother went to a Hope's Peak sponsored college, and I was going to join Class 32 as the Ultimate Student Body President." Saya explained.

**Saya Kiruma: Ultimate Student Body President**

"32?... That was my class, too! We were gonna be classmates…" Izumi said.

"Indeed." Saya said with a definitive tone. "It seems our captivity has a theme running through it. We're classmates. We'll have to confirm if there are other people from class 32 in our upcoming interactions. Keep that on the front of your mind, Igarashi."

"Y-you know you can just call me Izumi, r-right?" Izumi said.

"Personal names are for people who deserve to be in my inner circle. You've yet to prove yourself. Acquaintances will suffice." Saya said, Izumi sighing and nodding.

"Okay, Igarashi is fine." Izumi said. "Just… Not a lotta people call me a friend, y'know? Talking to people is hard." Izumi said with a forced laugh, getting no response from Saya as the elevator slowly shifted as it slowed to a halt. The door opened, the women being greeted by a servant standing just inches away from the door.

"Heeeeelllo ladies! Female; Otha female. I'm so excited to have you guys in this. Here. Hotel!" Hojo exclaimed with a wide grin across his face, scaring Izumi into hiding behind Saya.

"I saw the reflection of my face in his teeth!" Izumi squeaked out.

"Please remain outside of arms distance when addressing a woman," Saya demanded, pushing her yardstick to his chest and making him step back. "This distance would suffice."

"Okay! Just follow me down to the hall to the lounge! We've got an entertainment center that will make you go Hoooojo~" he said, drawing out the O as much as possible. "Any questions ya got I can answer! You are esteemed guests!"

"C-can we leave?" Izumi asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"Nope!" Hojo said "You're here forever!"

"Please tell me that's sarcasm." Saya said, glaring at Hojo. "Because you have a sick sense of humor…"

"Ain't no joke, Ms. Kiruma, babe! You're all here for the rest of your lives at the Hanging Garden Hotel!" Hojo shouted, which seemed to be his default volume. Saya pulled back her yardstick, readying a swing at the servant when he suddenly caught it and ripped it from her hand.

"Ah ah ah! Bit of advice, don't attack the MonoStaff!" He said with a smile. "It's a good way to die young."

"Give that back!" Saya ordered, Hojo handing back the yardstick with a shrug.

"Alright! Let's get you two to the lounge!" Hojo declared, turning on his heel and marching off. "Just, watch yourself with that thing. Don't act like you can make me do anything you want."

"Do we have to follow him?" Izumi asked, Saya taking a deep breath.

"Unfortunately, it would seem so." Saya said, striding off after Hojo. "Despite how infuriating he is, we have no power here, it seems."

Izumi followed after Saya as they walked down the hall. Inside Saya could see four people sat on the couch, two boys and two girls. One of the boys shouting nonsense at the screen as a woman in black played a kid with red hair and a beanie. Screaming all sorts of video game terms she's never heard of. 'Wombo Combos' and 'Getting rekt'

"...You, loud servant." Saya said curtly.

"The name's Hooojooooo-" Hojo began, Saya pressing the yardstick against his lips.

"Stop that. Quietly lead Igarashi and I to another room." She demanded.

"Now, I don't think if you heard me clearly, but I said you can't make me do anything you-" he began before Saya slapped him hard across the cheek with the yardstick.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but did you not say that I was an esteemed guest here at this hotel? Either you escort me to a room away from these… ruffians, or I will be filing a report to your superiors." Saya ordered, tightening her grip on her yardstick.

"But we haven't paid the hotel ye-" Izumi began to interject.

"We're guests, Igarashi. Don't let the details confuse you." Saya said, turning back to Hojo. "Now, is there another room on this floor, Hojo?"

"...Of course there is! Just this way, Ms. Kiruma!" Hojo said, creepy grin returning to his face as he guided the two toward a door on the right, behind the entertainment center, "Ya see, this hotel has a dinner theater! So it's part stage, and part dining room! We call it a 'dining hall' to keep things easy for the simpletons staying here." Hojo explained as they walked down the hall.

"Good. Hopefully, like-minded individuals will join us at this dining hall." Saya said as Hojo opened the door to the dining hall. Inside, they saw a lavish golden dining room with a single massive chandelier, dinner tables lined with crystal to make them see-through, with golden candelabras sitting on each one. In the distance, Saya could see a raised, lounge like platform with a classic microphone you'd see in the twenties, the back of the platform had a massive golden curtain obscuring the rest of it.

"A bit too ostentatious for my taste, but it certainly is better than a room full of lights and noises." Saya said, pinching the bridge of her nose where her glasses usually lied. "I can hear myself think."

"Good to hear it's to your liking! And don't forget to take your student handbooks!" Hojo exclaimed, giving Saya and Izumi their handbooks.

"Ah! Th-thank… now please go away…" Izumi said nervously, putting away her handbook. Hojo nodded and walked off, waiting by the door. "Do you think anyone will actually join us?"

"Hopefully, but if they didn't then I would be fine with that. I need to think on how we can escape from here…" Saya said, sitting on the edge of the stage. "For now, we wait. When the next guest enters, time how long between guests. I want to know how long each release from those rooms will be."

"Uhm, keep in mind not everyone's going to skip the lounge where those guys playing the video games together were. I'd think people who would enter here would kind of come to the same conclusion you did… So they'd all be annoyed…" Izumi pointed out, Saya sneering slightly.

"...You're not wrong." Saya admitted. "Then I guess we'll just have to wait without a set time."

As the minutes ticked by, someone soon entered the dining hall; a young man with a tall, lean figure, face obscured in a long brown hood. As he stepped closer to the stage, the features of his hood became clearer. It was a shaggy brown hide of a bear fashioned into a hooded cloak covering his body. All they could see was a pair of brown leather hunting boots.

"Hello, fellow student. I am Saya Kiruma and this is Izumi Igarashi." Saya said, extending a hand.

"...Katsuya Suba. I'm the Ultimate Hunter." the man said with a rough, raspy voice.

"That's it?" Saya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Katsuya said, before turning away and walking over to a corner of the room.

**Katsuya Suba: Ultimate Hunter**

"...I guess that's it. I was kind of expecting to interact with him more than that." Saya said, dropping her hand to her side.

"I'm kind of glad we didn't. He was kind of… scary. Did he kill that bear he was wearing?" Izumi asked, giving a nervous glance to Katsuya, seeing two glowing golden dots appear from under his hood. Izumi quickly turned away from him.

"Most likely. Well, he's quiet, so as long we don't bother him, he won't bother us." Saya said. Izumi nodded in agreement, the two sitting and waiting for the next possible student to arrive past the lounge.

The next student to enter stood out in contrast to Katsuya. She was a small girl with straight brown hair to her shoulders with two curled strands hanging over her forehead on each side like two antennas. Her orange eyes were covered by reading glasses and was dressed in a black school dress with an orange tie. In her arms was a purple stuffed rabbit with black button eyes. She walked slowly to Saya and Izumi, observing her surroundings with each step.

"She looks a bit young, doesn't she?" Izumi asked. "Isn't the age for admission to Hope's Peak at sixteen?" Izumi said, tapping her index fingers together.

"It is a bit curious. She looks like she's ten." Saya said, putting her hand to her chin.

"Maybe like 8 or 9. She's still carrying around a toy." Izumi replied, but only got a glare from Saya. "...What? Was it something I said?" she asked.

"Actually, I'm twelve." the girl said as she walked up to them. "I'm Chiwa Ohara."

"Ah, I thought you looked familiar." Saya said with a smile. "You made the news as the youngest initiate to Hope's Peak Academy, their first Ultimate Child Prodigy."

**Chiwa Ohara: Ultimate Child Prodigy**

"Twelve isn't that young... I thought child geniuses were more child-y?" Izumi said.

"How old did you get into Hope's Peak again?" Saya asked.

"16… 17 now." Izumi admitted.

"Exactly. Most don't get admitted unless they're in high school and younger students with promise are usually put into the Elementary School, or even the Middle School Division." Saya explained. "Chiwa managed to pass through both hurdles straight to Hope's Peak. Putting her on a higher level than the typical Elementary Ultimates. I heard her IQ is 225."

"Yeah, but the IQ test is a bunch of nonsense. I don't really think it measures anything related to lateral knowledge or which subjects I'm the strongest in." Chiwa said. "Plus, I'm not really a genius. I just have help from Socrates."

"Socrates?" Izumi asked, the child genius using her thumb and index finger to lift up the bunny's arm, making a waving motion..

"Hello~" Chiwa said in a low-pitched voice, trying to make her voice sound more "adult" as she bobbed the rabbit's head from side to side. "I'm Socrates, Chiwa Ohara's personal advisor! You could say I'm the brains of this operation!" she said, moving an arm to make Socrates jab himself in the head. "But Chiwa's a smart cookie too!"

**Socrates The Rabbit: Ultimate… Scholar? What?**

"Aww, how cute!" Izumi said, reaching over to pat Socrates on the head. Chiwa quickly motioned 'Socrates' to bat Izumi's hand away. The plush hitting her hand made the waitress retract her hand.

"I am -not- cute! I am a scholar and a gentleman! I am a respected intellectual mind and should be treated as such!" Chiwa ranted in her 'Socrates' voice, thrusting a paw at Izumi.

"Saya, the rabbit's being m-mean to m-me! T-tell him to stop, I might cry." Izumi whimpered out.

"Oh my God…" Saya said with a sigh, pinching her brow. "Igarashi, you're being more childish than the child. Please get a hold of yourself."

"I.. I was just playing along…" Izumi said, slightly stung by Saya's words as Saya stepped off the stage, bending down to shake hands with Socrates.

"Good afternoon, So...Socrates." Saya said, having trouble making the words of greeting a stuffed rabbit come out of her mouth. "I'm… Saya Kiruma. This is my assistant, Izumi Igarashi."

"I'm your assistant?" Izumi asked.

"Yes, you're my assistant, is there something wrong with that?" Saya asked in response, giving off a threatening aura.

"Ack! N-no! Not a problem at all, Ms. Kiruma!" Izumi said with a bow.

"That's what I thought." Saya said before turning back to Chiwa. "So, it seems like the common thread is we were all going to start at Hope's Peak this year. Whoever brought us here had a reason."

"Maybe they're relocating the school and needed us to be put somewhere while a new school gets set up." Chiwa suggested.

"Then where are the other students? I've only seen less than 10." Izumi pointed out.

"Maybe they're on different floors or in different buildings." Chiwa said, resting Socrates' chin on his hand.

"All well and good, but if it were relocation, then we would have been informed months ahead of time of potential delays. Not kidnapped and locked into a hotel." Saya countered.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I don't think Hope's Peak would send messages by hitting someone with a frying pan." Chiwa said.

"They hit you a frying pan?!" Izumi asked, concerned and checking Chiwa's head.

"I'm okay now… I woke up and my injury was gone. Then I was stuck in that hotel room for four months. I miss my mom." Chiwa said. "These people in masks broke into our house and one of them yelled 'hit her with a frying pan!' and then I felt the hit and blacked out."

"That's awful. I hope your parents are okay…" Izumi said, Chiwa looking down at the floor. Izumi gave her a pat on the shoulder. "You wanna sit with us while we wait for others to show up?"

"Sure. I didn't like the guys in that other room anyway. They were shouting and I don't like loud noises…" Chiwa said as she climbed the stairs onto the stage.

"Well, I think we'll get along just fine then, Chiwa." Saya said as Chiwa sat on the edge of the stage. Saya sat down to Chiwa, Izumi on her other side. The three women sat in wait, occasionally passing glances to Katsuya in the corner, turning away whenever they saw him look back.

The door swung open with a violent slam as a young man stepped into the room. He was rather pale with a jet black ponytail, looking around the room with dark green eyes. . He was dressed in in a white dress shirt and black pants, a black suit jacket hanging off his shoulder. His hands were covered in black leather gloves which he was tightening with a free hand. Izumi nervously looked to Saya, leaning in to whisper to her with a hand covering her mouth.

"I don't like the look of this guy. M-maybe you should talk to him." Izumi said in a hush, Saya nodding and jumping off the stage to walk over to the gentleman standing there with a scowl on his face.

"Greetings, fellow student. My name is Saya Kiru-" Saya began.

"Piss off." he said curtly, his voice rough and scratchy.

"...Come again?" Saya asked, feeling the muscles in her face tighten slightly.

"What, you got something in your ears? I told you to piss off. I need a cigarette and I don't need small talk." he said, looking around the dining hall. "Where the fuck are the smokes around here?"

"Hopefully far from here." Saya said with an annoyed huff. "Nicotine is an addictive substance and if you're a student of Hope's Peak, you're under the legal smoking age of 20. I will not allow you to damage your body or anyone else's as long as I-"

"Holy shit, do you ever turn off?" he said, spitting on the floor. "Tell that ratty haired chick to ask one of the servants for smokes. Might as well make her useful."

"I will do no such thing!" Saya said, affronted by the student's abysmal attitude. "You have some nerve, coming in here and demanding anything of your fellow students! Who do you think you are?!" she asked, getting right in his face.

"My name's Daichi Kakihara, now step off before I step you off." Daichi said, putting his palm onto her face and roughly shoving Saya out of his face. Saya stumbled back, Izumi quickly moving to catch her before she fell over.

"Ack! A-are you okay, Saya?" Izumi asked, nearly falling back herself as she carefully lifted Saya back up.

"I'll be fine. The only thing that was wounded was pride." Saya said as she came to a standing position. Chiwa jumped off the stage, walking over to Daichi.

"You're kinda mean, you know that right?" Chiwa asked, holding up her plush rabbit. "I don't like you and neither does Socrates."

Daichi rolled his eyes. "Well, here's what I think." He said, reaching down and ripping the rabbit out of her hands.

"Ahh! Let go of Socrates! Let him go, please!" Chiwa said, jumping up to try and get her plush back, Daichi holding his arm up to keep it away.

"Oh, I'll let him go. I'll let him go flying, ya brat!" Daichi said, dropping Socrates and kicking the rabbit into the air.

"N-no! Someone catch him!" Chiwa shouted, as Daichi laughed mockingly at her misfortune.

"It'll be fine, just go get it when it l-" Saya said

"Caught it." came a voice from the doorway. The students turned to see a woman standing in front of them. She looked oddly older to the rest of the gathered students, meeting Saya at eye level with Socrates in her left hand. She was dressed in a black frilled lace dress and skirt combo, matching platform boots adding to her height. Her long dark purple hair was tied into a French braid with a black bow and like Izumi, she had a single, milk-white left eye, her right eye covered by a black eyepatch with a skull embroidered on it. Izumi hid herself behind Saya, feeling a dangerous aura coming off the woman.

"Wh-who is she?!" Izumi whispered to Saya.

"I don't' know, just stay calm, I'll do the talking." Saya whispered back before turning to face the woman.

"Your hands are trembling." Daichi said with a smirk.

"Shut up, Kakihara." Saya snapped, tightening her grip on her metal yardstick, trying to hide her fear as she locked eyes with the woman. Who walked with a purpose across the dining hall, her long locks of purple hair framing her tall, but intimidating frame. Just who was this woman?

"Here you go." She said, leaning down and gently handing the rabbit back to Chiwa.

"Th...thanks?" Chiwa said, grateful yet confused and uneasy.

"Who… are you?" Saya asked the woman, who turned her eye to the Ultimate Student Council President.

"I'm Airi. Airi Kudo."


	4. Prologue - Part 4

Prologue: Helplessness Blues (Part 4)

"Okay… Airi Kudo. What exactly do you do?" Saya asked.

"Maybe she's like… an assassin, or something." Izumi commented.

"Or a spy." Chiwa guessed.

"Actually, I'm a babysitter." Airi corrected. "I've been babysitting for 10 years."

**Airi Kudo: Ultimate Babysitter**

"You were babysitting since you were 6?" Chiwa asked.

"I've been babysitting since I was 10, actually." Airi pointed out, but Daichi stepped between the two of them.

"...You're 20!? Who goes to Hope's Peak when they're 20?" Daichi asked, incredulous. "Did ya get held back a couple years? Did your stupid pirate eyepatch make it so you can't read!?" Daichi ranted at Airi, who calmly crossed her arms. "You know you can dress yourself, right? You can CHOOSE not to look stupid." He said, pointing a gloved hand at her.

"I was blinded in an accident when I was younger. Someone spilled cleaning chemicals on me, and I lost sight in my right eye." Airi explained.

"That means you're half blind, not brain damaged. How did you get held back four years?" Daichi asked.

"And one of you appears to be ten years old. I assume I'm a chaperone, not a student." Airi said.

"I'm 12! I just.. I haven't gotten taller yet... In the last 2 years." Chiwa said, hugging her rabbit.

"Okay so she's just a midget, okay, got it, cool." Daichi said with a chuckle, getting a glare from both Airi and Chiwa.

"Are you absolutely certain you're a babysitter? If so… why the skull on your eyepatch? Why the gloves? Explain yourself." Saya demanded, jabbing her yardstick at Airi, who just lazily glanced down at it.

"Why do you threaten to hit people with a metal yardstick?" Airi asked.

"I…" Saya started, then looked down at the floor for a second. "You… You can't just…" she stammered out.

"Then don't talk about my eyepatch." Airi said coldly.

"...That sure was a thing that happened." Chiwa said, laughing off the awkward feeling she had.

"Uh…. S-Saya, Hojo gave us those handbooks, right? Maybe the guests or students are listed in there?" Izumi suggested. "Maybe we don't have to meet everyone back to back to back… Because this seems like it's going to be hard to meet everyone all at once."

"We're going to be meeting them anyway, I don't see the point in taking shortcuts." Saya said.

"But most of the people I've met are awful. I kind of want to take a break." Izumi said, looking away from Saya. "I.. I'd like some time alone, and leave you to it. Plus, we can confirm if Airi is a student or not."

"Hrm.. that's not a bad idea. Very well, you can take a few minutes away from the rest of us... " Saya said, looking around the room. "Hm… there may be room past the curtain where you can be at peace. Going through the doorway would just lead back to the others." Saya said.

"Oh right, there's a map." Izumi remembered, tapping a button on her student handbook and scanning a few menus. "There is a room behind the stage, actually… It leads to a small elevator that doesn't go back through the lounge."

"Then go that way. Go to your bedroom or something." Saya said curtly.

"N-not there again!" Izumi pleaded. "I've been in there for months! I-I can't go back in there!" she said with a note of panic in her voice.

"Then find somewhere else to go!" Saya ordered, smacking her ruler against the floor, startling Izumi.

"Ah! O-okay!" Izumi exclaimed, heading up the stage. Saya shook her head and pulled out her handbook and pressed a button to turn it on.

_Welcome, Saya Kiruma_

She looked over the menus; Hotel Map, Student Profiles, Truth Bullets, and Regulations. Saya pressed the button for Student Profiles.

_Airi Kudo  
Ultimate Babysitter_

_Age: 20  
Height: 5'10, Weight: 144 lbs_

_Blood Type: AB, Chest: 29''  
Date of Birth: 12/25  
Likes: Foosball, Takoyaki, Kpop, Chemistry  
Dislikes: Christmas, Pirate Jokes, People obsessed with bust sizes_

Saya found that profile somewhat… strange. Chest size? Blood type? Saya then scrolled through the names in alphabetical order, skipping people she didn't care about, and finding another person she was familiar with.

_Izumi Igarashi  
Ultimate Waitress  
Age: 17  
Height: 5'7, Weight: 100 lbs  
Blood Type: O-, Chest: 33"  
Date of Birth: 11/21  
Likes: Cooking, TYPHOON, Her sister, Kazane  
Dislikes: Herself, Loud Noises, Being Alone_

There were alternate menus for each person on the list, but each one was blank, filled with question marks. Saya assuming there was some kind of requirement for learning more about them. The next one she was curious about, was herself.

_Saya Kiruma  
Ultimate Class President  
Age: 17  
Height: 5'8 (5'11 in heels), Weight: 131 lbs  
Blood Type: A+, Chest: 34"  
Date of Birth: 8/23  
Likes: Fresh Air, Self Improvement, Sewing, Classical Literature  
Dislikes: Excuses, Rulebreakers, Smoking, Flirtiness_

Saya's profile was mostly available on her handbook, compared to the profiles of other students.__

_Saya Kiruma is the younger sister of Shiro Kiruma, a college-bound Ultimate Politician. Saya Kiruma, after entering Kotouga middle school and establishing herself as a moral authority worth following, she entered Hopes Peak as one of the brightest potential leaders. Armed with a metal yardstick to put people in their place and cull immature behaviors, she can be truly intimidating._

_Saya is nearsighted and suffers from moderate persistant Asthma. She typically has her inhaler with her in case she has a severe attack_

"So they know about that…" Saya said, narrowing her eyes. She then scrolled through the rest of the names to see who she hasn't met yet. Another one came to mind as she scrolled idly through the names.

_Daichi Kakihara  
Ultimate Thief  
Age: 17  
Height: 5'9, Weight: 142 lbs  
Blood Type: B+, Chest: 32"  
Date of Birth: 1/11  
Likes: Smoking, Being Alone, Calculated Risks  
Dislikes: Too Many To List, Women_

"A thief? Who in the world puts a thief in a high school roster? What kind of place is Hope's Peak running…?" Saya asked.

"Heh, not so smart, are ya?" Daichi said dismissively. "Hope's Peak always allowed criminals to study. Hell, the Headmaster went to school with a biker."

**Daichi Kakihara: Ultimate Thief**

"What do they study? How to be criminals?" Chiwa asked.

"No, you idiot. Once I got nailed by the police I stage break-ins to test building security. Headmaster Naegi thought I had turned over a new leaf, so he gave me a spot on the waiting list. Guess enough people dropped out to get me admitted." Daichi said, rubbing his temple. "Now shut the hell up, you're giving me a headache."

"Excuse me, you're the one that threw the bunny, right?" Airi asked.

"Yeah, and what of it?" Daichi said. In a flash, Airi slid a knife from the sleeve of her shirt into her hand, bringing it close to Daichi's neck. "Wh-what the fuck?!"

"Why does she have a knife?!" Chiwa exclaimed, hiding herself behind Socrates.

"K-Kudo! Put that knife down!" Saya demanded, shocked at how quickly Airi had drawn a knife.

"I am only going to warn you once; If you do anything to hurt or upset Chiwa, they won't find your body…" she said coldly, her single eye trained on the thief.

"Holy…" Daichi gasped out, backing away.

"...You said were a babysitter…" Saya said, stunned as Airi hid the knife back into her sleeve.

"H-how did you know my name?" Chiwa asked, shaking behind her bunny. Airi turned and patted Chiwa on the head.

"I read your profile on my student handbook. Don't worry, Chiwa. You and Socrates are safe as long as I'm here." Airi said with an unnerving smile, her lips pulled back to the sides of her face.

"...Please stay away from me." Chiwa said, backing away from Airi.

"H-hey! Stooooop! Don't pull me!" Izumi's voice called out, everyone turning toward the stage to see an odd sight; a black-and-white bear, looking like the outfits worn by the staff.

"You… are… coming… with… me! Hnnnng!" the bear yelled, dragging Izumi by her ankle. Izumi clawing the floor like a cat being taken to the vet.

"I'm not okay yet! I just wanted a break!" Izumi cried, kicking her free leg. The moving bear just gritted its teeth. "Stop dragging me like I'm a dead goat!"

"You were running off. I'm not going to round you up all day! We're dragging this out long enough. Meet everyone, dammit! Socialize! Stop making this prologue any longer!" The bear replied. "And who drags around dead goats? You're weird!"

"W-why is this a prologue!? You're not making sense! Stop dragging meeeeee!" Izumi cried.

"Neeeveeeerrrr!" The bear defiantly shouted, dragging Izumi back in front of Saya.

"...Yo is that bear movin' that chick?" A man called out that Saya didn't recognize. "And is it a talkin' bear? That's whack, dude."

"What is even going on anymore?" Saya asked herself, burying her face in her palm. "A talking bear? How? Also, why?"

"Where do I get one?" The man replied to Saya. The bear then turned around to the assembled students, showing its face briefly.

They could see that it had a black button eye on its white half, its black half with a jagged, red glowing eye. On the white side it had a cheerful smile and on the black half, a smile of jagged, sharp teeth.

"Now stay with Saya! Stay! Keep that butt on the floor, missy!" the bear said. "I have got too much prep work to do to have people just wandering around…" he grumbled before going up the stage and through the curtain. "Meet more people! I am not doing this again!"

"..." Saya looked down at Izumi, who was sitting on the floor with a defeated look on her face.

Izumi looked back up at Saya. The awkward was palpable

Daichi left at some point, not even interested in what just happened. And Izumi and Saya together looked at the man who was watching the two of them.

He a muscular young man with tanned skin, light brown dreadlocks and green eyes, hands covered in a dry, white powder. He was dressed in a white tank top, blue jeans and hiking boots.

"So… what's up!? I'm Rokuro Akada!" he said with a big wide smile.

"ARE WE GONNA IGNORE THE BEAR!?" Izumi manically shouted at the top of her voice. "ARE WE!?" she bleated out. "Am I finally insane!? Is this the death throes of my life ending!? WHY? Why is any of this happening!?" Izumi said, digging her fingers in her hair. "AAAHHHH!" She continued to shout and hyperventilate. Saya sighed and smacked her upside the head with her yardstick.

"Ow…" Izumi complained. "That really hurt..."

"Settle down, Igarashi. It's been a long day and it'll only get longer if we start freaking out." Saya said before turning to Rokuro . "We'll figure out the… weird talking bear later. I'm Saya Kiruma. With me are Izumi Igarashi, Chiwa Ohara and Airi Kudo." She said, pointing to each with her yardstick. "If you want to learn more I guess the student handbooks have our talents and… other strange factoids in full."

She pointed her yardstick briefly to Katsuya. "That is Katusya Suba in the corner and the man you saw leave was Daichi Kakihara." Saya explained.

"I see. Well, I'm the Ultimate Climber. At least that's what my acceptance letter said." Rokuro said. "I'm good at a lot of things, but I'd say I'm a really good climber."

**Rokuro Akada: Ultimate Climber**

"A lot of things?" Saya asked.

"Yeah. Not smart people stuff like reading, or physics, or world peace. But I can fight pretty good! And I can climb mountains, swim in oceans and stuff. Y'know, the works."

"Uh...huh." Saya said, coughing awkwardly.

"Wh-what's with the dust? A-are you on coke?! That's illegal, isn't it?!" Izumi exclaimed, pointing at Rokuro's hands.

"What?! Nah, this is just talc!" Rokuro said with a hearty chuckle. "Talc lets you climb stuff! Like mountains! And things that are like mountains but with the grippy things!"

"...I think that's a rock wall." Saya clarified.

"Hell yeah it is! Rock wall! It's like a chunk of fake mountain!" Rokuro yelled.

"But.. you're in a hotel! What were you climbing?" Izumi asked.

"I made the hotel room into my climbing room by poking holes in the walls!" Rokuro exclaimed.

"...You broke holes in the walls but you didn't escape?" Saya asked.

"Yeah well maybe I didn't think about that when I was makin' them!" Rokuro announced, rubbing a finger under his nose as Saya marked him as an idiot in her mental checknotes.

"Are you sure you're not on crack!?" Izumi asked.

"No! Plus, I kept havin' to fix the holes because I'd wake up and they were all patched up!" Rokuro pointed out. "I would have to punch em out every day and then someone filled it with spackle!" Rokuro explained. "It wasn't all that bad, though. I would take out the spackle, mix it with water, and stick it to the wall for hand-holds!"

"...You realize you're staying in a hotel room, right?" Saya asked.

"You wanna fight about it?" Rokuro challenged, putting up his fists.

"I-I didn't say anything about a fight!" Saya objected. "What about that implied I wanted to fight?"

"Ha! By not agreeing to fight me, you have forfeited your argument, I declare myself as the victor to this debate!" Rokuro exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air.

"That's now how debate works! You can't just say something stupid and you win if the other person doesn't want to be punched in the face!" Izumi complained in response.

"It's how debate works in the Akada house!" Rokuro proudly boasted.

"What does that say about your family!?" Saya shot back.

"A lot of things, but I don't wanna think about it!" He replied.

"Clearly…" Saya muttered. "Well, thank you for joining us, I suppose. Please, find a place to sit."

Rokuro nodded and headed off to an open part of the room, dropping down to do push-ups. "Saya… are all the guys in this hotel the worst?" Izumi asked.

"It would appear so, Igarashi. Though I can't say I care much for Kudo, but you and Chiwa are fine." Saya assessed. "Hopefully the next student step through will be more in control of themselves."

After a few more minutes of wait, another student stepped into the dining hall; a young man in a white hooded jacket and a black cap covering over blonde hair. His jacket was unzipped showing a white shirt underneath with black pants with orange stripes and a pair of orange-and-white sneakers. He had bangs covering one eye, his unhidden eye a cotton candy pink, looking around the room before walking over to Saya and Izumi.

Saya heard the sound of rushed, high-pitched breathing coming from her side. She turned to see Izumi staring at the new student, breathing fast and heavy. Saya gently squeezed her shoulder to get her attention.

"Stay calm, Igarashi. I know these past few students have been intimidating, but I will be doing the talking. Just slow your breathing." Saya said, Izumi trying to catch her breath.

"Uh… is she okay?" the young man asked, Saya turning to him.

"You'll have to forgive, Igarashi. She's been through a lot since her door unlocked." Saya said, offering a hand. "I'm Saya Kiruma, a pleasure to meet you." she said formally, Izumi's breathing increasing in rapidity.

"Uh-huh… if you say so. Anyway, I'm Sora Hi-" he began when Izumi let out a loud, high-pitched squeal, startling him and Saya.

"I KNEW IT WAS YOU, TAIGA!" she exclaimed, pointing right at the new student.

"Oh no..." he said, as Izumi drew herself aggressively close to his face, eyes shining brightly.

"I'M ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST FANS! I HAVE ALL OF YOUR ALBUMS!" Izumi shouted, everyone staring at her in confusion.

"Uh… hi…" He said with a squeak to his voice. 

"Who is this 'Taiga' you keep talking about? Do you know him, Igarashi?" Saya asked, Izumi letting out an affronted gasp.

"Who's Taiga?! You don't know!? How do you not know!? Do you own a TV!? Do you look at billboards!? Do you have ears that listen to music!? What kind of lady are you!?"

"A very busy one with important things to do. Your behavior is confusing me, Igarashi..." Saya said.

"Please don't explain." the young man pleaded, but Izumi ignored his request.

"He's Taiga!" Izumi exclaimed, flailing her arms in the young man's direction. "Taiga is Taiga! He's Taiga! He's the only Taiga!"

"I'm fairly certain half of those weren't words." Saya said, holding up her yardstick. "Explain in words, Igarashi.

"You have to be from the 1800's. Either that, you're pulling my leg pretty hard, Saya." Izumi said. "Taiga is a member of the biggest boy band in Japan, TYPHOON. All caps! Not the one that floods Kyoto every few years." she explained.

"I see, no wonder I hadn't heard of him." Saya said, Izumi just staring at her with her jaw open, finally giving Taiga a chance to speak.

"Actually, My name's Sora Hitose. I'd say it's nice to meet you, if it weren't for the circumstances." he said.

**Sora Hitose: Ultimate Boy Band Member**

"Was I the only one who was kidnapped or do we all have that in common?" Sora asked.

"From what I can ascertain, we were all kidnapped and brought to this hotel." Saya explained. "I remember being attacked and forced into a van, being struck in the head to knock me out. When I woke up, it was long enough for any injury I would have to healed. Otherwise, I've been in that room for more than 6 months."

"Yeah, they got me because I had wanted my bodyguard to leave me alone when they put a rag under my nose and put me out. I woke up in handcuffs stuck in a stuffy 4 star hotel room."

"I find it weird the thing we can all bond on is our mutual kidnappings." Izumi commented, showing a surprising amount of calm before the gears suddenly turned back. "A-anyway, Mr. Taiga, can I have your autograph?!"

"Ah, w-well, I don't have have a pen…" Sora said, turning his head away from Izumi,

"No, that's wrong." Saya pointed out.

"What?" Sora asked

"My room had a pen. And I assume your room had a pen too." Saya corrected.

"D-don't tell her that!" Sora replied,

"My room had a pen too! Hold on, I'll be right back!" Izumi exclaimed, heading off to go to her room when Saya grabbed her wrist. "Ack! Saya, let go!"

"No. We are not wasting more time! You'll just be dragged back by that strange anthropomorphic bear." Saya said.

"...Oh yeah. I forgot that happened." Izumi said.

"You were _screaming _the entire time it happened." Sora pointed out. "How do you forget about that?"

"Because I was screaming! Then I met the best member of TYPHOON like five seconds after!" Izumi said, Sora hiding his eyes under his cap and mumbling.

"Mrhm… I'm not that great…" Sora muttered.

"You kidding!? You and Ryuzaki have a fanbase rivalry! You and him have cliques of fans who hate the other clique! They won't even talk in the same chat rooms! They don't even sit together in concerts because people will throw hands for you, dude!" Izumi said, stunned. "Remember that riot at the Tokyo Dome during your BANG STAR tour?"

"Don't remind me." he said darkly, Izumi once again breaking through any personal space barrier, Sora puffing air into his cheeks and forming the small frown he had on his face.

"I've seen you live and you're amazing! How do you do it? What's the secret to your singing skills? It can't be lip sync!"

"I-I don't… th-that's not… no…" Sora stammered out, Izumi's breathless praise getting cut off when Saya got behind her and locked her yardstick onto Izumi's neck.

"If you behave like a dog, you'll be treated like one. Mind your manners, Igarashi." Saya said.

"Saya, let go! I wanna touch his beautiful hair!" Izumi cried out, trying to reach a hand for Sora as he backed away. "Taiga, where are you going?! Sign my shirt!"

"Nope. All the nope." Sora said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning away. "Noping my way outta here. Noooooope!" Sora said, flashing a peace sign back to the two girls. "Cya."

"Let go of me, Kiruma! He's getting away!" Izumi shouted.

"Don't make me embarrassed to be around you, Igarashi! You'll regret it."

"Taiga! Tell me why you didn't friend me back on your fanclub paaaaaage!"

"The reason was nope! Deuces! Peace! Byyyye!" Sora exclaimed as he made a break for the door only to be blocked by the manic grinning visage of Hojo. "Hyaaaah! What the hell are you?!" he exclaimed as he fell back in surprise, landing on his rear.

"I'm Hojo!" he said loudly, Izumi's frantic flailing coming to a stop as she heard Hojo's voice.

"J-Jesus f-fuck!" Sora said, sliding his body back along the floor to make some distance from him.

"That ain't my name, kid! That'd be Hojo to you. And being your guide to the ultimate 5 star hotel-kidnapping experience is my game! I heard what you said about it being four stars, kid, but with our excellent service and my a-winning smile, it's a big fat 5 in my opinion!" Hojo rambled. "Have you ever seen sinks that nice before? They're motion sensored! I'm real proud of our sinks."

"...I hate you. And I hate your sinks." Sora said, slowly bringing himself to his feet. Saya let go of Izumi, walking over to Hojo.

"So, what brings you here, Hojo?" Saya asked.

"It's time for you everyone to meet the boss! The bear! The bear boss! The boss bear! The… beaross!"

"English, please." Saya said.

"Everyone who isn't in the dining hall get in the dining hall! Everyone who is already in the dining hall, don't leave or I'll have to slap you!" Hojo exclaimed. "Speaking of, let's get that cat Daichi back in here!"

"Let go of me! Get the fuck off!" Daichi shouted from outside the dining hall as two large, suited men in bear masks dragged him through the doors. "I'll piss on your graves! I'll put out my cigarettes with your eyeballs, you punks!" He shouted, kicking his feet defiantly into the air

"You're gonna have to get some smokes first, buddy! Anyway, we got eight here and just need the other eight to join us! I bet they're doing some dumb meet and greet with each other like this room did!" Hojo said, flicking his head in odd angles.

"That's... Probably correct." Saya said, scratching the back of her head.

"And now, I, Hojo, proudly present to you… These nerds!" Hojo announced, holding out an arm to an empty hall. "...It appears that I don't have the nerds yet!" He said, laughing awkwardly.

"NEEEERDS! Approach the dining hall door in a timely, orderly fashion!" Hojo shouted.


	5. Prologue - Part 5

Prologue: Helplessness Blues (Part 5)

"Junichi, you're getting smoked!" Touki said as Junichi suffered a fifth loss against Rinne while playing his favorite fighter in the game, a taekwondo master.

"You think I don't see that?!" Junichi shot back. "Her power game is too good!"

"Believe in the power game, Junichi." Rinne countered.

"You're playing as a bear!" Junichi shouted.

"Power game," Rinne said simply.

"Give me the controller, bro. This is getting sad to watch." Touki said, Junichi grumbling and handing the controller over to Touki.

"Fine, you get your ass kicked for a while, and see how it feels."

"Ah, another human is joining us," Surumi commented as Junichi turned his head toward the door, seeing a tall, lanky young man with very long brown hair, reaching down to his lower back and thick goatee with hazel eyes. He had a black skullcap on top of his head, a long-sleeve black shirt with a t-shirt on top of that with GOJIRA written on the front and dark black pants with chains hanging off each side, leather spiked armbands finishing off the street punk look.

"Yo. You guys playing video games n' shit?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're playing Fatal Arena," Junichi said.

"Hell yeah. I call next round." the young man said, jumping onto the large couch. "Name's Yuuto. Yuuto Hagiwara."

"Oh yeah, I think I got you on my cheat sheet," Touki said. "You're a drummer, right?"

**Yuuto Hagiwara: Ultimate Drummer**

"Yeah, I play for Dark Coffin. We're black-thrash, so we just make a lot of loud noise." Yuuto said. "I joined the band when I was 11, they thought I was joking but I meant every word. Our first album came out when I was 13 and it got a million plays, it was crazy."

"Oh cool. I'm Junichi Ando." Junichi said.

"...Whatcha say your name was? Junpei?" Yuuto asked

"I said Junichi, dude," Junichi replied.

"Junko?" Yuuto asked again.

"Junichi! Clean your ears, man." Junichi complained.

"Ah damn, sorry dude. You're on my bad ear." Yuuto said, turning his head so his left ear was facing Junichi. "You play as loud as we do in Dark Coffin, and you fuck your ears up. One my ears is worse than the other, so I put a hearing aid in my semi-good ear so I can still hear people," he explained, pulling up part of his skullcap to show Junichi the hearing aid sticking from his left ear.

"Couldn't you have hearing aids in both ears instead of just one?" Junichi asked.

"I'm fuckin' broke, dude. It took months to get just one. I lived off microwave burritos for a year before our first album, there's no way I'm getting two hearing aids on my budget."

"But you're in a huge band!" Junichi pointed out.

"A Blackened-Thrash metal band doesn't make the big bucks. Especially because the record label took a huge chunk of money for 'publicity' costs. I lived in a van while we were on tour." Yuuto explained.

"...Are you sure you're an Ultimate?" Touki asked.

"Did you see that video of that mascot doing blast beats at that little amusement park mascot band?" Yuuto said. "That was me. I think the headmaster gets bored and looks up funny videos on the internet and that's how he found me," he explained as Touki quickly turned back to the TV screen.

"No no no no! I meant to pause! What are you doing!?"

"You hafta hold the pause button for the game to pause. Now you're being beaten on by a big wrestling guy, that's your fault, Touki." Rinne said, her character powerbombing Touki's repeatedly.

"Aw, come on! You cheated!" Touki objected

"Not my fault you don't know how to pause," Rinne said with a smirk. Yuuto reached over and yanked the controller from Touki.

"Gimmie that. Let me show you how you whoop some ass." Yuuto said as he looked through the character roster, and picking a ninja character.

"What makes you think you're gonna do any better?" Touki asked.

"First of all, I know how to block. Second of all, I ain't no scrub." Yuuto said, sticking his tongue out at him.

"Do you guys want to take turns getting your ass kicked? Very well! Bring it, nerds." Rinne said with a smirk as she picked the giant robot character in response.

"I think I'm going to go meet some other people, so I guess I'm done getting beat up by Rinne at video games," Junichi said, getting up from the couch and exploring who else was in the lounge.

"I believe you've missed a few people exiting into the dining hall while you were playing video games. But, I've found out that you can check up on profiles with the handbook the servants gave us." A voice explained, Junichi turning to the source of the voice. 

"Huh? Who said that?" he asked, seeing a young man with dark green, curly hair dressed in a simple blue suit with white trimming and a black cap, his dark blue eyes giving a quick scan of Junichi.

"Junichi Ando, the Ultimate Lucky Student, correct?"

"Y-yeah, how'd you know that?" Junichi asked.

"Your profile is in the handbook." the young man said, pulling out his handbook and showing Junichi his own profile.

"...Oh," Junichi said, thoroughly embarrassed.

"I'm certain you can see who I am if you check -your- handbook as well. It's advised you get well versed with the information you're presented," he suggested, Junichi pulling out his handbook. He looked through the names, seeing that each name had a picture of the student next to it. He checked each picture until he found one that matched the suited man with the perm, finally finding him.

**Koba Tsujishi: Ultimate Detective**

"Oh, you're a detective?" Junichi asked. "Koba… Tsujishi, yeah?"

"Correct. It's nice to meet you., Junichi." Koba said, putting his hands into the front pockets of his suit jacket. "I assume you're a victim of a serial kidnapping, correct?"

"Cereal…?" Junichi asked. "Koba, I don't think someone would bother kidnapping my cereal," Junichi said, confused.

"Serial, as in, multiple times, Junichi," Koba said with a laugh. "It's pronounced the same, so I can get mixing them up. It's like a serial killer, but with kidnapping."

"...Why didn't I think of that?" Junichi asked, shaking his head. "I'm still not getting over losing that many games in a row."

"Yeah, I'm not good at video games either, but I feel like we're getting off topic. Were you kidnapped as well?"

"Yeah, I was. They bombed Hope's Peak and chloroformed me on my first day of school." Junichi said with a sigh. "Sometimes I feel like being called the Ultimate Lucky anything is a bunch of bull with that track record."

"Well, at least you didn't get kidnapped while investigating a kidnapping," Koba said with a small chuckle.

"Wait, really?" Junichi asked.

"Well, I was tasked to track down a pop star named TAIGA, who went missing before a show in Nagoya. I started to find clues that he was kidnapped by going to an alleyway behind the concert hall, where I was ambushed and thrown into a van." He explained, looking away. "I think the funny part is, I found TAIGA. He's stuck here with the rest of us. So my 100% performance rate is still standing strong."

"I mean, yeah… but don't you have to like, tell someone you found him?" Junichi pointed out.

"Well, I can't really do that right now. But I'm just trying to figure out the whole point of us being here." Koba said.

"Alright. If you wanna hang out, the lounge is right past the door. Rinne's slaughtering everyone in Fatal Arena if you wanna test your luck." Junichi replied, pointing a thumb back into the lounge.

"Well, the thing is... I wasn't involved in many conversations with the people you've met in the lounge, but I was in listening range, so I mostly know which each person is like." Koba said.

"So you were eavesdropping," Junichi said.

"Don't put it that way, I think detectives do more than eavesdrop on the client's dime, it's intel," Koba objected. "Anyway, I think I'll pass on Fatal Arena, roughly eight people walked by you while you were getting to know that small group of friends you've made so far and are residing in the dining hall."

"Wait, how did eight people get by us?" Junichi wondered.

"You were too busy playing video games, of course," Koba explained. "You've been at this for nearly an hour."

"...Oh, shit." Junichi said with a little laugh.

"Yeah, this building has no clocks in it, so it's easy to lose track of time like that. It's a good thing the handbooks come with a clock." Koba said. "So, want to join me in the dining hall?"

"Sure," Junichi said, turning to leave to the double doors into the dining hall when a voice called out to them.

"Hey! You think I'll let you guys leave without asking who the heck you are!?" A rough, female voice announced from behind the two of them. They turned to see a tall, dark-skinned young woman leaning against a nearby wall. She had long brown hair to her shoulders, tied into a braid down to her hips. She had athletic tape on both arms up to her biceps, only showing her calloused fingers through the wrappings. She was wearing a sleeveless denim jacket cut off at the stomach to show her toned abdomen, black shorts that showed her tanned legs, built like tree trunks wrapped in black boots with white laces. "I sense nerds. Name yourselves!" the girl shouted, jabbing a finger at the both of them.

"Ack! I-I'm Junichi Ando! Don't hurt me!" Junichi exclaimed, hiding behind Koba.

"...Stop that." He said to Junichi before turning back to the newcomer. "I'm Koba Tsujishi. Did you really have to call us nerds?"

"You look like between the two of you, you weigh eight pounds. So you're nerds!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not that skinny, am I?" Junichi asked, squeezing his arm to feel his utter lack of definition.

"I'm shorter than you, Junichi. I'm a terrible human shield. Now stop hiding behind me or she'll keep calling you a nerd." Koba said, stepping aside from Junichi.

"My opinion on you being nerds doesn't really change depending on the…" The girl trailed off as she wasn't sure what words she was using. "I still think you're nerds!"

"Anyway, how about you?" Koba asked.

"I'm Asana Nanashima. I'm the Ultimate Shootfighter, I guess." She said, thumbing the side of her chin and smirking.

**Asana Nanashima: Ultimate Shootfighter**

"I mean, you look the part," Junichi said. "So I'm guessing you were going to be a Hope's Peak Academy student too?"

"Yeah. I was gonna be one, then I got shot!"Asana explained, Junichi's eyes going wide.

"T-they shot you!?" he stammered out.

"Well, with a dart gun and horse tranquilizers. I guess that's kind of like being shot." Asana said, twirling a lock of hair in her fingers. "Aaaaanyway. Guess I was kidnapped; should probably try escaping soon."

"Escaping soon?" Junichi asked.

"Yeah, might have to knock in some teeth first, but it shouldn't be too hard," Asana said with a chuckle. "This ain't my first rodeo, I've been kidnapped before."

"...This isn't your first time?" He replied, shocked.

"Yeah! I was held ransom. But I escaped after breaking every single one of my captors' arms." Asana said, giving her right arm a flex.

"Junichi, wait, I just noticed something," Koba said.

"What?" Junichi asked, pulling his envious eyes from Asana's bicep.

"Someone's standing just behind Asana." Koba pointed out, pointing at Asana's feet. "See that second pair of shoes just behind hers? Someone is standing behind her."

Junichi followed Koba's finger to a pair of black slip-on shoes. Junichi looked up to see a girl long, curly dirty blond hair, hands tensely gripping the sleeves of her sweater as she looked around the hall. She was dressed in a dark pink sweater that hugged over her somewhat curvy frame along with a black skirt hanging past her knees and long white socks, thick-rimmed glasses over her blue eyes.

"Hrn… H-hi…" she said, looking away from everyone.

"Oh hey, you actually followed me," Asana said with a chuckle.

"Y-you dragged me into the elevator!" the girl snapped back, glaring at Asana.

"Look, you gonna introduce yourself to the nerds or what?" Asana said. "Nerds are usually friends with nerds, right?"

"St-stop calling me a nerd! M-my name is Miyuki Ashikawa!" the girl stammered out.

**Miyuki Ashikawa: Ultimate Fantasy Writer**

"Oh hey, I know you! You wrote _Journey of the Silver Chariot_!" Junichi said.

"Huh? Y-you... read my book?" Miyuki asked, a smile starting to form on her face before it suddenly dropped, giving Junichi a scrutinizing look, eyes peering through her glasses. "...You liked it, right?"

"Yeah! I wanted to buy the whole series, but money's been a bit tight…" Junichi admitted.

"Who's your favorite character?" she asked, still peering at Junichi, leaning in close to his face.

"Uhh… Oh! Phelan! I like how everyone looks down on him for how small he is but then he proves himself by taking down a frost troll by climbing it and stabbing it in the eye. I guess I'm just a sucker for underdogs." Junichi said, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head. Miyuki smiled, moving back from him.

"Good answer. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were an actual fan and not someone who just watched the TV show or something…" Miyuki said when the lounge door slammed open behind them.

"NERDS! What the hell are you doing?! Get in the dining hall!" Hojo shouted, Junichi letting out a high-pitched yelp and wheeling around.

"Damn it, not you again!" Junichi exclaimed.

"Alright, alright, single file! Form on the sides of the hall! Don't get lost and don't get caught up in skits of awkward small talk!" Hojo ordered, never losing his unnerving grin.

"...What?" Koba asked, tilting his head.

"If you haven't met Hojo yet, don't meet Hojo," Junichi said, adjusting his beanie and sighing. "Let's just go in the dining hall before he tries to bite my face off with his ninety-five teeth."

"H-he's a psycho…" Miyuki muttered as Touki poked his head through the door.

"Yo, Junichi! You heard the crazy dude, we gotta get to the dining hall!" Yuuto said, cracking the knuckles of his long fingers. "Might as well get this over with, y'know?"

"Y-yeah, Coming," Junichi said, stopping to let Rinne past by him first.

"That win was a fluke, Yuu," Rinne complained as she walked past him into the room.

"It was all skill, Rinne! Skill!" Yuuto shot back, but Rinne just thumbed her nose at him. "Power game doesn't mean shit, yo!"

"Yeah, but you beat me with a schoolgirl," Rinne replied. "Where's your masculinity?"

"A kung-fu schoolgirl! Get it right." Yuuto snarked, wagging a finger at her.

"Hustle hustle! Come on, phonies, we ain't got all day." Hojo complained at the two of them. Junichi followed them as the people entering the room eventually split, forming two lines on each side of the wall, seven facing nine as Junichi saw a creepy woman in purple standing with what appeared to be a preteen by her side and breaking the symmetry.

Junichi was face-to-face with a stern looking young woman with square glasses and white hair. She looked like she came from some private school, her uniform was elegant with whites and blues compared to Junichi's old hoodie and loose fitting jeans, she was twirling a metal yardstick between her fingers as she waited.

Beside her was someone who looked to be the complete opposite of the first girl. Her hair was stringy and nearly to her hips in an unkempt tangle, wearing a white and black outfit and an apron over the top of it. The dark rings around her eyes made Junichi think of a raccoon. She kept making glances at a boy across from the next person.

A rather sharp dressed guy about his age with sharp features and jet black hair tied into a skull tight ponytail and a glare on his face, his hands were stuffed in his pockets and he didn't look happy to be there.

The guy black-haired girl was staring at had to have been Taiga. Even his clothes said his name. He had perfect skin, and faint hints of eyeliner around his eyes to make him look like a human photoshop. His outfit even looked like he was filming a music video with how overly designed his 'street' clothes were. He had an uncomfortable look on his face, as each passing second, he leaned further and further away from the raven-haired girl.

Then there was the tall violet-haired woman with an eyepatch with a skull design, dressed in a dark dress and hovering just behind the smaller girl wearing round glasses and hugging a purple bunny rabbit in her arms. She looked uncomfortable and was busy staring at the floor. The people on the opposite side of the room continued to get stranger from there as the next person was wearing an entire bear pelt as a hoodie and was dressed like one of those try-hard hunter types, draped in various leathers on his arms and legs, with a massive knife hanging from his belt, his sharp catlike eyes glaring around the room, and occasionally at the man beside him.

A tall, muscular man with dreadlocks and powder covering his arms. Junichi thought he must have been some kind of weightlifter with how fit and tan he looked, he was currently doing handstand pushups and mouthing some high number Junichi can't count.

On Junichi's side was him, then Touki, Koba, Yuuto, Rinne, Surumi, Asana, and Miyuki, with Hojo and several other servants and maids wearing bear masks standing at the front of the stage. The spotlight turning onto an empty podium as everyone began to watch in curiosity.

A familiar teddy bear then fell from the ceiling, landing on a podium and hitting the microphone, making a feedback sound fill the air. The students stared in confusion and disbelief,

"What… what was that?" Junichi asked. The sound of the feedback beginning to fade from the speakers as the silence in the room became awkward. Then the microphone fell off the podium, starting another round of feedback.

"It's the talking beeeeeaaaarrrrr!" Izumi exclaimed, pointing toward the podium with wide eyes.

"Why'd he fall from the ceiling?" Touki asked. The teddy bear had to reach well over its head to place the microphone back on the stand, walking up a small staircase back to the podium and loudly clearing his throat.

"I've subverted your expectations!" the bear declared. "People think I was gonna jump up from the floor, so I dropped down from the ceiling instead! It hurt a lot, but it broke new ground!" the bear declared.

"That was dumb." Sora said.

"You're dumb!" Monokuma shot back.

"So… who and what are you, exactly?" Saya asked.

"I am Monokuma and I'm just a humble mascot." the bear said. "I can sign your pictures later, but now I have things to say to you!"

"First things first, welcome to the Hanging Garden Hotel, the official site of the **Killing Suite!** You are my players, my guests, and my students!" Monokuma announced.

"...Students?" Chiwa asked "But we're in a hotel! What do you learn in a hotel? Are there classes on water aerobics or something?"

"I'm gonna call you students from now on, shut up. It fits the branding, anyway I forgot what else I could call you besides students."

"Guests. You were thinking of guests. You just said guests!" Chiwa pointed out.

"Shut up, bunny girl!" Monokuma shot back. "You're all gonna be students at this hotel, you're gonna be in the Killing Suite, there's gonna be Class Trials and you're gonna like it!"

"It's like you're trying to drive a car through a doggy door with how many changes you have to make…" Chiwa complained.

"It fits! Shut up! You're just jealous you didn't think of it!" Monokuma ranted, kicking over his microphone. "This killing game isn't in a school; that's because school sucks. It's overrated! Everyone does schools, we need to change it up!" he yelled, barely heard without his mic.

"...This is fucking stupid." Daichi complained as Monokuma continued to spout angry noises and stomp on the podium.

One of the masked servants picked up the mic, handing it back to Monokuma. "Thank you. Anyway, the servants have handed you student handboo-" he began as Chiwa opened her mouth to speak. "-don't say a damn thing, Chiwa! Interrupt me again and I'll turn your bunny into kindling for my BONFIRE!" he threatened, Chiwa shutting her mouth and hiding behind Socrates.

"That's better. The student handbooks will lay out the rules and give you a map of the Hanging Garden Hotel. Sample the culinary delights of our top class chefs. Swim in our luxury pool. Who wants a body massage? You can get one at our spa! Or just spend it all at the MonoRajah Casino!" Monokuma announced with a cheesy, over-the-top voice. "Catering straight to your room if ya got the cash. If you want, every day is Jell-o Day! But… you're gonna have to work to unlock all the floors, so you haven't got all the luxuries we have to offer."

"So… we're just staying at a hotel?" Yuuto asked.

"Yup! And you'll enjoy all the perks and luxuries on our dime! You're living the good life for no charge! There is a catch, though… you're here forever!" Monokuma said in a cheery tone, sending a chill through the gathered guests.

"For… forever?" Sora stuttered out.

"Yup! You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave! ...Actually, you can't check out either. That's a misnomer, I guess." Monokuma said, unsure of his announcement. "Oh, maybe you check out when you die…"

"Wh-what?! Y-you're gonna keep us here until w-we die?!" Miyuki gasped out, grabbing at the ends of her hair.

"Well, there is a way out of the Hanging Garden, but don't go looking for it, because it's not a door or a tunnel or a window! All the windows are bolted, all the doors are locked up!" Monokuma explained, Junichi swallowing his spit.

"And before you start thinking of taking the coward's way out, the door to the roof has been locked, so taking a dive off the roof isn't the way out either! At least not if you want to make it out alive! See, to get out, you have to commit a murder!" Monokuma declared, a silence falling over the crowd.

"Did… did you say murder?" Izumi asked, shaking slightly. "Please tell me this is for a prank video channel or something," Izumi muttered, tears welling at her eyes. "I've been here half a year...! Why did you put us in there!?"

"No fuckin' way… we gotta off someone to get out of here?!" Yuuto added.

"What the hell kinda hotel is this?!" Rokuro shouted.

"It's a Killing Suite! You want out, you gotta pay with someone else's life! Ruahahahaha~" Monokuma said, cackling into the speakers.

"There's no way I'm killing nobody!" Asana shouted. "Now you better let us out before I make a sandwich outta your teeth!" she threatened, pointing a finger at Monokuma. Monokuma let out a yawn, covering his mouth with his paw.

"Ah, so we're at this part, huh? Where I say it's a killing game and then the tough one yells at me about how they're not gonna kill anyone. Then they climb on the stage, yell at me and threaten me with violence, maybe throttle me a little. You're such a stereotype, jeez." Monokuma said, half yawning.

"Ain't nothing stereotype about me pummeling your sorry stuffed ass into the pavement!" Asana said while Monokuma mimed her talking with his hand. Asana growled and began to march her way to the stage Monokuma was standing on. "I can kill a stupid bear, easy!"

"Yep, predictable as always! You know what? How about we skip the preamble and just get to the part where I make an example of ya?" Monokuma said, Junichi's head turning to Monokuma as he rose his paw.

"H-hey! Asana!" Junichi cried out, only to be ignored by the angered fighter.

"What's it called, what's it called…" Monokuma said in a singsong tone. "Ah, that's right! It's the Spear Gungnir~!" he shouted before slamming his paw onto a big red button on the podium. Junichi sprinted after Asana. For as long as he could remember, Junichi could always tell when something dangerous was going to happen. Pulling people from crosswalks before cars cross, moving aside before a box fell on his head, or avoiding a street then seeing a pack of wild dogs roaming that street. Right now, he didn't know what was going to happen, but he had to do something about it.

"Asana!" Junichi shouted, leaning forward with his body as he dove toward Asana, slamming both hands into her to push her onto the floor. A loud hissing sound ripped through the air, the other guests watching as several metal spears shot out from the walls. Junichi began to fall forward, spears shooting over his head and slamming into the opposite sides of the room, sending everyone scrambling to the floor. Among the _shunk_ and _shink_ of spears planting themselves into walls and floor was a more wet, meaty sound that was immediately matched with a scream of agony and terror.

Asana shot up onto one knee to look behind her, and who shoved her as her eyes widened in shock, followed by a clamor of gasps and curse words from the crowd of students. "H-holy shit…"

"Junichi, what the fuck!?" Touki shouted. He and the rest of the guests ran over to Asana and Junichi, Asana continuing to stare at Junichi. The spear had jammed into his chest, close to his shoulder, blood pooling out onto the floor as Junichi let out another agonized scream. Izumi clasped a hand over her mouth. "S-somebody do something!"

"...I hate heroic types. Damn it, Junichi…" Monokuma said, shaking his head.

"A-aaarrrgghhh!" Junichi cried, hand desperately grasping for the metal in his shoulder to try and pull it out. "S-someone help!"

"Don't pull it out, Junichi. You'll bleed to death!" Koba shouted, running over to grab a hold of his wrist and pull it away.

"Wh-what the hell?! What did you just do?!" Asana shouted, turning her glare toward Monokuma.

"Well, I was trying to skewer you, but stupid Junichi got in the way! I should've known the Ultimate Lucky Student was gonna play hero! They always do." Monokuma said.

"He's got a spear in his chest, you asshole!" Touki yelled.

"Ahh, he'll be fine!" Monokuma said, waving a paw dismissively. "He didn't hit anything vital. Stupid Ultimate Luck…" he grumbled.

"We've gotta get him to a hospital" Sora exclaimed.

"This place doesn't have a hospital. We need to figure out how to staunch the bleeding." Koba said.

"Oh, don't worry. We've got a doctor! As long as she has her doctor's bag, she's a walking clinic!" Monokuma said, snapping his fingers. "Oh, Kageri~"

One of the MonoMaids suddenly broke from the line in front of the stage, walking over to Junichi. Over her maid uniform, she wore a black and white doctor's jacket, a red scarf wrapped around her neck and green surgical scrubs with matching gloves. Her entire face was covered by a plastic cast of Monokuma's face, though her long blue-violet hair was tied up in the back in a ponytail. While her left eye is covered by a red filter from the mask, her right eye was uncovered, showing that her eyes were pink. In her hands was a black-and-white doctor's bag with Monokuma's face on each side.

"Hey, back up! What are ya gonna do with him!?" Yuuto shouted, running between her and Junichi's dying body.

"Stand aside, I have to stabilize Mr. Ando's vitals before I continue proper treatment," she said calmly.

"No way! You're working for the teddy bear-" Yuuto objected.

"Is this just my life? People calling me a teddy bear just because of how soft and fuzzy I am? Because of my cute little puffy tail hanging off my adorable round tush? I keep telling these stupid kids I'm a mascot, but all they ever say is 'teddy bear, teddy bear, teddy bear!' and then I have to yell at them that I'm a mascot. Life. Don't talk to me about life." Monokuma rambled as the MonoMaid tried to argue with Yuuto, Sora walking over and putting a hand on Yuuto's shoulder.

"Look, maybe it's better if we let her work on him. I think Junichi would rather probably die than definitely die," he suggested, Yuuto sighing and stepping aside. Kageri bent down, opening up her bag and pulling out various medical tools. She started by putting a breathing mask over Junichi's screaming mouth, slowly pumping anesthetic to put the Ultimate Lucky Student out.

"I'll need you all to leave the dining hall so I can operate," Kageri instructed, Saya quickly stepping toward the door, Izumi following after her. Saya stared out into the distance, feeling her hands shake.

"S-Saya? Are you okay?" Izumi asked.

"I… get me a glass of water, Igarashi," Saya said, taking quick, hard breaths, as she reached for her coat pocket, then gripped her own chest instead. It felt like her heart was about to explode.

"O-okay!" Izumi said, running off toward the lounge. Saya's fingers reached through her pocket, feeling nothing as she continued to shake. She stomped hard onto the floor, tightening her fists and turning to see others walking out of the dining hall. Many had looks of shock still plastered on their faces; Asana was shaking with anger, Daichi looking back at the hall with disdain, Chiwa holding onto Socrates with rattly knees, Airi leaned over and trying to comfort the scared prodigy.

Saya turned back to the dining hall, trying to keep her eyes off Junichi as the MonoMaid operated on him, looking at the assembled MonoStaff watching from behind their matching masks, only Hojo showing his manic grinning face.

Saya looked up at the bear sat on his podium. Monokuma. Seeing the wicking smile and glowing red eye of the monster that had trapped them here and now had just violently maimed someone. Saya remembered the fleeting relief she had felt when she had finally become free of that room. She thought she was finally out of the cage she had been trapped in for months. But once out, she found herself in a bigger cage, one where the only way out was to murder someone. The people in the hotel started to look like a pack of hungry wolves, waiting for their moment to pounce.

Her entire world had been completely twisted into a terrifying new world. One where she didn't know who to trust. A world of fear, pain, and chaos. A part of her wanted to go back to the safety of her hotel room.


	6. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 1

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 1)

Saya calmly strode her way through the lounge, ignoring everyone as she walked down the hall toward the elevator. She did all she could retain her composure as she felt more and more lightheaded. Marching past other students and outright ignoring them as she went back to her room.

Once inside, she rifled through her drawers, searching until she finally found what she was looking for; an inhaler. Her captors had been stringent on giving her proper breathing medication. Saying she only had one canister to use, so she had been conserving it for the last few months. She forgot to bring it with her when she left the room with Izumi, and it was one of the only ways she can get through stress or physical activity.

Saya pressed her hand against the wall, coughing so hard she felt the blood in her head squeeze at her brain from the blood pressure. In the middle of the cough, she pulled the inhaler up to her mouth. She quickly pressed down on the canister, medicine quickly coating her lungs and the tension in her chest finally subsided, giving her the first few clear breaths since the red-haired person named Junichi was impaled.

She took a few minutes to fully regain her composure, once again trying to force down the strands of hair that were sticking upward. "Come on… come on! Ugh! Does this room have scissors?" Saya asked, rummaging through the dresser until she found a pair of scissors. Saya began to line the scissors up, carefully trying to figure out how much to cut off when there was a knock at her door, nearly dropping the scissors. "Ah! Hello?"

"Saya? Are you in there? I got your water…" came Izumi's voice from behind the door. Saya took a deep breath, setting down the scissors, pocketing her inhaler and heading for the door, opening it to see Izumi standing there with a bottle of water.

"Thank you, Igarashi," Saya said, uncapping the bottle and taking a sip of water.

"Why did you leave so suddenly? I mean, I know Junichi got hurt and all but... I saw you run off." Izumi asked, concerned.

"There was something I needed to take care of," Saya said. "Now then, is everyone still in the lounge?" she asked.

"A few people are, the rest of them are exploring different floors. I think Koba left with Rinne and Chiwa to explore, while everyone else is waiting to see if Junichi's going to be okay. Airi went with them to keep an eye on Chiwa." Izumi explained.

"I see… then I should introduce myself to the others properly." Saya said, taking another sip before leaving her room, Izumi following after her to the elevator. Izumi pressed the call button, the door soon opening to Monokuma standing in the frame of the door.

"Hi," Monokuma said, waving a paw at the two of them.

"B-bear!" Izumi shouted, throwing a notepad from her pocket that bounced off his head. "Get away f-from me!"

"Ow." Monokuma flatly said, rubbing where his head was hit by the notepad.

"Don't do that, Igarashi. Do you want to be impaled next?" Saya warned Izumi, pressing her yardstick across the girl's apron covered chest.

"O-oh! Sorry. Can I have that back?" Izumi asked, pointing to her notepad.

"Get it yourself," Monokuma said. "Ya… NINCOMPOOP!" Monokuma shouted, throwing the notepad back at her and hitting her in the head.

"O-ow!" Izumi exclaimed, rubbing her forehead.

"HOW DOES IT FEEL!?" Monokuma shouted.

"It was just a reaction!" Izumi shot back.

"What if I threw 15 thousand of these at you eh?! How many papercuts do you want, missy!?" Monokuma asked, shaking a paw.

"N-none!" Izumi said.

"Igarashi, please pick up your notebook…" Saya said. Izumi nodded and picked up the notebook, Saya turning to Monokuma. "What do you want, Monokuma?"

"You see, I kind of got caught up in the spectacle of things and completely forgot to explain how this killing game thing is supposed to work! I mean, it's not often a guy gets skewered on the first day of a killing game. We have a rulebook, and I feel like it's important to know how it works."

"Ah yes, the regulations. So, you came here so I could review the regulations?"

"Yup! I'm here because SOMEBODY forgot to tell you!"

"Do you mean that you forgot?"

"...Shut up. I only forgot because Hojo forgot to remind me to not forget! I forgot to remember, damn it!" Monokuma ranted. "Anyway, be sure to read the regulations. If you don't that's your fault."

"Fine. Anything else?" Saya asked, pulling out her student handbook.

"Don't forget to _have _fun!" Monokuma said, pressing one of the elevator buttons, the doors shutting in front of them. "Ding! Elevator away!" The bear announced, muffled as it began to change floors.

"Did he just use our elevator?" Izumi asked, blinking a couple of times before turning to a subtly pissed Saya. "We… We have to wait until it comes back." 

"I'll remember that..." Saya said, gripping her yardstick tightly.

"M-maybe we should take the stairs…"

"No. I'm determined to use the elevator just to spite that bear," Saya replied with a cold glare at the elevator doors. "I'll even steal the elevator from him the next time I see him!"

"...O-okay then," Izumi said, pressing the call button and waiting for the elevator to return. The elevator chimed again, the doors opening to an empty elevator. Saya sighed in relief as the two stepped in.

"...Do you know where everyone is at the moment, Igarashi?"

"No, but I've found something kind of cool. The student handbooks show the last area each person was at." Izumi said, pointing to them on the map. "See? It's showing us in the hallway."

"Ah. I wonder what the intervals are. We might have to investigate that later. Now, let's see the Regulations…" Saya said, pushing up her glasses as she turned on her student handbook.

_Welcome, Saya Kiruma!_

Saya swiped through menus on her way to the Regulations menu, reading them aloud as the elevator made its descent.

#1: Students are required to cohabitate together in the facility for the foreseeable future.

#2: If and when a murder in the Hotel is committed, a class trial will be conducted. Participation for this trial is mandatory for all living students.

#3: If the killer (Referred to as 'The Blackened' from this point on) is identified and voted guilty in the class trial, they will be subject to **punishment.**

#4: If the Blackened is either misidentified or cannot be identified during the class trial, all the students who are not the Blackened will be punished instead.

#5: If the Blackened survives the class trial for the murder they committed, they will graduate from the killing game and will be allowed to enter the outside world.

#6: The innocent students, also known as The Spotless will continue to hold class trials, the trials will stop if two Spotless remain. 

#7: Nighttime is between the hours of 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM, certain facilities such as the dining hall, kitchens and the casino hall are forbidden to enter. 

#8: Violence against the Host, Monokuma is strictly prohibited and will be severely punished (Especially if it's Asana)

#9: Monokuma is not allowed to participate, or be an accomplice to any of the murders. Class trials will ALWAYS have a Blackened and ALWAYS have a victim.

#10: Student handbooks are the key to your survival in the Hotel. Do not dispose of, or damage them.

#11: The culprit discovering the body does not count as discovering the body, other students must discover the body.

#12: You are not to harm any of the hotel staff. They are not part of the killing game, and cannot be used as witnesses.

#13: Likewise, the staff cannot give you any information that isn't approved by Monokuma, any servant who does will be subject to Monokuma's wrath.

#14: Monokuma can add and remove regulations as he sees fit.

The elevator came to a stop as Saya finished reading, her and Izumi stepping through the doors and heading down to the hall. They were soon back in the lounge, Saya looking around the room to see who was still there. She found them all gathered around the couch, flipping through channels on the television; there was the girl with auburn hair in the blue dress and orange blouse, the tan girl in the denim, sat next to the pale girl wearing thick glasses with dirty blonde hair, the boy clad in black with a skullcap and goatee, and finally the boy in the brown leather flat cap and matching suit jacket. The boy in the flat cap turned to them, getting up from the couch and looking up at her.

"Hey, you were that girl who went into the dining hall without talking to us. What's up?" he asked.

"Well, since you're not all shouting at each other, I figured I would introduce myself. I'm Saya Kiruma, I'm sure you've already met Izumi Igarashi." Saya said.

"I'm Touki Minami. But you can call me…" Touki began, taking off his cap and running his hand through his side-parted brown hair. "Anytime," he finished, giving Saya double finger-guns.

"No," Saya said bluntly.

"What? What do you mean no?" Touki asked, thrown off by how little effect it had on her.

"I would rather rip out my own tongue out than call you that or anything else you have written down as a follow-up," Saya responded.

"That's not what the joke is supposed to me-" Touki objected, Saya slamming her yardstick against the floor, everyone turning to look at her.

"Do you think I care!?" Saya shouted at Touki.

"Step on me," Touki said under his breath.

"W-What!?" Saya asked, eyes widening slightly.

"Y-you didn't hear that!" Touki stammered.

"I did," Izumi quietly interjected.

Saya pinched her forehead. "...Minami, where's Koba Tsujishi, the Ultimate Detective?"

"Does this mean you're not interested?" Touki asked

"Do I look interested?" Saya asked, pointing to the glare on her face.

"Yyyeeeeeeeeea-" Touki began, seeing the glare forming on Saya's face. "Okay, no. Fine. Koba's on the 20th floor, with Rinne, Chiwa and Airi."

"Alright. I'm going to be joining their investigation. Don't follow me." she warned, tapping her yardstick against her palm.

"Call me a bad dog," Touki muttered softly. Saya just reached up to adjust her cracked glasses, then swiftly turned on her heel to take a deep breath through her teeth. Izumi took a small step away from Touki and looked away from the swelling of awkward tension in the room. 

"I'm never speaking to you again," Saya said tersely.

"I-it was a joke! I swear! I… I was kidding! Why don't you believe me!?" Touki cried out, Saya walking away as fast as her body could walk.

"Igarashi, inform Minami that he is to not say anything in my presence," Saya demanded. "Then, follow me so we can find Koba."

"A-alright, Saya!" Izumi said with a bow, turning to Touki. "Sorry, Touki. Saya said you can't talk to her anymore," she said before running off to follow Saya.

"I heard that!" Touki objected. "She heard me say that!"

"He said he heard that!" Izumi called to Saya.

"..." Saya said nothing in response.

"Wait! I need to say something to clear my name!"

"Touki said he wants to clear his name," Izumi said, continuing to act as the emissary between Saya and Touki.

"I'd kill for a restraining order right now..." Saya muttered.

"T-that's not funny! This is a killing game, isn't it!?" Touki shouted over at her.

"H-he said that wasn'-" Izumi started, Saya covering her mouth with a hand.

"I heard him, Igarashi. Stop engaging Minami, you'll only encourage him." Saya said, picking up her pace to try and draw distance between her and Touki.

"You guys are mean!" Touki called from the far end of the hall.

"He srs yr mrn," Izumi said, muffled by Saya's hand.

"I'm well aware of that," Saya said, stopping at the elevator

"Sh serz she-" Izumi lifted a finger to indicate that she was talking, but Saya just shushed her again.

"Screw this, I'm going back to the TV!" Touk shouted, heading back into the lounge. Saya and Izumi stepped into the elevator, Saya taking her hand off Izumi's mouth.

"So uh... Did I do okay?" Izumi asked.

"I don't recall you being under my employment," Saya said.

"You ordered me to do that!" Izumi complained.

"A leader doesn't make orders." Saya started. "A leader suggests ideas that make the most sense, and others choose to follow said suggestions out of a need for order and common sense."

"...I don't get it." Izumi said. "Anyway, you said I'm your assistant, right?"

"I said you're my assistant, but you chose to continue to assist me."

"Because you're scary!" Izumi objected. "I just do these things because I think you're gonna put pushpins under my fingernails if I don't!"

"I would do no such thing. Such a manner of punishment would be barbaric and would leave marks. A simple strike from my yardstick leaves a decent sting that puts most students in line… Most." Saya said, letting another sigh. "And you haven't been particularly rude, contrarian or ill-tempered, so I find you're the first I turn to when needing someone to do something for me."

"I-I mean.. T-thanks I guess I just… I feel like that's because no one else wanted to talk to you."

"..."

"S-sorry! I said that wrong! I didn't mean it like that."

"I will ignore that for now," Saya said, feeling the elevator come to a stop, the doors opening up to a rather large hallway with two doors on each side of the floor. One was open, and Airi, Rinne, Chiwa, and Koba were all standing at the entrance to one of the rooms.

"What are all you staring at?" Saya asked as she walked up to Rinne.

"Oh, hey. You're Saya, right?" Rinne asked. Saya nodded in response. "Well, this room has four student research labs on them and Koba just figured out how to unlock the rooms," she explained, Koba turning his head to join the conversation.

"We have labs? Why?" Izumi asked.

"It's a system implemented by schools like Hope's Peak to help the students to refine their talents," Koba explained. "I'm suspecting this is Monokuma's way to copy it."

"The labs require your student handbook, but if it's lost, you can use your birthday as a passcode," Koba explained further. "I assume each lab for each person requires that person's birthday."

"I see. And who's lab is… is... " Saya said, trailing off as she looked into the open doorway of the lab. The lab was a sterile room with walls covered in several devices, a large shelf with bottles and vials of liquids and powders, all labeled. The only things that looked even slightly normal was a filing cabinet at the back wall and a desk with a swivel chair. "Wh-what is this…?" Saya asked, mouth agape.

"My lab," Airi said bluntly as Izumi poked her head in, her jaw dropping.

"Airi... why is… the knife was one thing, but this? Wh-what is all of this?!" Izumi asked, waving all over the room.

"Babysitting supplies," Airi replied as Saya walked into the lab and looked over the shelf, picking up one of the vials.

"Trichloromethane… that's… this is chloroform! Why does a babysitter have chloroform?!" Saya asked, dumbfounded and worried.

"Well, if a kid is being particularly bratty, you take a rag and pour a little bit on. Then you put it under their nose to make them pass out." Airi said from the doorframe with an unnervingly peaceful smile. "Works every time."

"Kudo, that isn't- you don't- what are those?!" Saya asked, pointing at the wall of devices.

"Surveillance equipment. It's so I know if they're and bed and where they are if they aren't in bed." Airi explained.

"That's what baby monitors are for! Not night-vision cameras!" Izumi exclaimed.

"...What happens if they aren't in bed?" Chiwa asked nervously.

"I make them go to bed," Airi responded, sending a chill down Chiwa's spine as she said it, holding Socrates up over her face.

"I-I don't like you and neither does Socrates!" Chiwa sputtered out.

"That hurts, Chiwa. I'm just doing my job." Airi said, looking down.

"Airi, you're a babysitter! Babysitters are supposed to sit kids in front of the TV for two hours, feed them microwave macaroni and run up the parents' phone bill talking to their boyfriends! They're not supposed to be confused with a kidnapper or an assassin! You can't just use horse tranquilizers on a 10-year-old!" Izumi said, exasperated.

"Only if he's misbehaving." Airi countered.

"No! Not ever! Do you steal kids' teeth and ship them to Africa when you're done babysitting them?" Izumi asked.

"No, I leave them to the tooth fairy if they lose a tooth," Airi said.

"Saya, are we sure Airi's not some kind of wanted criminal if she has this kind of lab?" Izumi asked her 'boss.'

"It wouldn't be a farfetched assumption at this point," Saya said, adjusting her broken glasses to see a little bit better.

"To be fair, I didn't choose what was in this lab. This is just… what my lab is like." Airi said.

"Then why are you trying to justify it!?" Chiwa interjected.

"I dunno, it all makes sense to me. You're all being weird about it." Airi said with a shrug.

"...You guys are all weird." Rinne complained.

"Anyway, I think we've seen enough of Airi's lab," Koba said. "I'm just going to advise all of you to stay out of this lab, since… it seems like if you want to commit a murder, you'll end up breaking into here." Koba started, adjusting the brim of his cap. "I would also advise not to share the fact birthdays can open the door."

"Why?" Izumi asked.

"Birthdays are on the student cards in the handbook; it pretty much means if you know about this, you can break into any lab you want," Koba explained.

"But Airi's birthday is Christmas Day, isn't that kind of easy to guess?" Rinne pointed out.

"Not if they don't know the room codes are birthdays." Koba countered

"Your birthday is Christmas?" Izumi asked Airi.

"I'm known to be quite jolly." Airi joked.

"Stop lying!" Chiwa complained.

"So, which labs are on this floor?" Saya asked.

"Airi, Izumi, Sora and Surumi's labs," Koba answered. Izumi let out an excited gasp.

"Oh! OH! I know Taiga's birthday!" Izumi exclaimed, running over to the door of his lab, as each lab had a crude drawing symbolizing their face printed out as a sign on each door.

"Of course you know Hitose's birthday…" Saya said with a sigh as Izumi walked up to the door, putting in the numbers 1028. Izumi swung the door open, eyes wide and shining with joy.

"G-got it!" Izumi said with excitement.

"I was going to advise not to check a lab of someone who isn't here with us but I'm glad people heed my advice," Koba said, sarcasm in his voice. "Fine, we'll check Sora's. I don't want us to check Surumi's without her consent."

Izumi ran in, seeing a room with a polished epoxy floor and walls covered in posters. The posters were all of the same group, TYPHOON, printed in all capital letters. In the corner of the room was a dance arcade machine covered with the Typhoon logo and members covering the cabinet. Izumi's ecstatic squeal was followed by her hopping on her toes in excitement.

"Oh my gosh, all this memorabilia! I have most of these posters. It's like this is my room! I can't wait!" Izumi said, walking further into the room before feeling her body begin to slide back out of the room. "I can't wait to s-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Izumi shouted, as Saya grabbed her collar and started to drag her out of the room, finally pulling out of the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

"That's trespassing, Igarashi!" Saya shouted. "I will NOT allow any of my subordinates break the social contract of trust and consent! Keep your butt out of this room until Hitose allows you to enter!" Saya shouted, Izumi took a breath and raised a hand to protest, but Saya slapped her raised hand with her yardstick.

"O-ow!" Izumi cried out, holding her hand to her chest.

"Behave, Igarashi!" Saya commanded, tightly gripping the yardstick.

"That hurts. Stop doing that!" Izumi whimpered.

"Then you will not enter Hitose's room without his permission!" Saya said. "Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, Ma'am!" Izumi said.

"So does that mean the only other available lab would be Izumi's?" Chiwa asked. "Does that mean we need to ask Izumi if she wishes us to view the lab?"

"I guess it's fine," Izumi said, nursing her hand. "I'm pretty sure my lab wouldn't have a flamethrower in it."

"Was that joke at my expense?" Airi asked.

"Y-yes!" Izumi shouted.

"How dare. I don't have a flamethrower in my lab. Fire is dangerous for small children." Airi explained, a gloved hand cutting the air. "I wouldn't dare let a child get set on fire."

"...You sure?" Rinne asked. "It would let the kid go to bed, right?." Rinne continued to morbidly joke. "It works in your logic, right, Airi? Burn a baby alive, have a good night's sleep!"

"..." Koba stood with his mouth open in shock. "That was… a bit macabre, don't you think?"

"I thought it was funny." Rinne retorted.

"Now we're talking about setting children on fire," Chiwa said with a sigh. "Socrates, let's just go to Izumi's lab already," she said, using her thumbs to make the rabbit's head nod. Izumi turned to her lab door, putting in 1121 into the keypad next to her lab door and hearing an affirmative beep.

Izumi's lab looked like a small diner with black and white checkerboard tiles on the floor. Strangely, near the door was a fake brick road to make it look like they were on a street. The walls were a fake blue sky, and there were several chairs underneath an awning that served as dining tables. There was a booth that looked like both a place to cook and serve food behind a Plexiglass wall that was about chest height.

"It's weird… The lights are tinted orange to look like sunlight, and the walls are painted like a sky… This whole place looks like a little coffee shop." Koba said, seeing Izumi's eyes lit up for once as she looked it over.

"I-it's cute…" she exclaimed with a small smile. "I'm still upset we're trapped here, but I always wanted one of these little streetside shops… It looks like it's supposed to be French, or Italian," she said, letting out a delighted sigh.

"This lab does have a cozy quality to it. It's actually similar to La Zefiro," Saya said, running a finger along the awning to check for dust.

"O-oh! You've been to La Zefiro?" Izumi asked as she went behind the booth.

"Of course. My family went there to celebrate my brother's admission to Future Crest." Saya said.

"Oh yeah, my dad told me to stay out of the way during that dinner…" Izumi said.

"Hm? Igarashi, do you work for La Zefiro?" Saya asked, surprised.

"Oh, well... My dad ran the place for the last 20 years. He inherited it from his grandfather since his father was kind of a deadbeat. He didn't really pay me, but he taught me how to be a waitress and a chef." Izumi started. "Eventually, I got good enough to be hired onto the staff."

"I see... " Saya said, turning to Koba. "Before I forget, Koba. What did you find during your investigation?"

"The floor beneath us has a laundromat and an incinerator, along with a breaker room." Koba listed on each finger. "There's also a kitchen attached to the dining hall on the 18th floor.

"Which is CLOSED!" Monokuma said, suddenly appearing behind the group.

"Wh-what?! How did you get in here?" Chiwa asked.

"I'm in the _walls~_" Monokuma said, twiddling his fingers. "Any bit of drywall? Me! The sprinkler system? Also me! The plumbing system? Reluctantly also me."

"...Are you going to come out of a toilet at some point?"

"Only if I have to."

"Refrain from appearing in the women's toilets," Saya demanded. "Anyway, you said the kitchen was closed, right?"

"Yup! See, we were gonna have this big banquet, but then Junichi went and made himself a kebab, we gotta get all the blood outta the carpet. That and uhh.. The food delivery's late." Monokuma explained.

"You were going to have a banquet and didn't prepare for a late shipment on food?" Izumi asked.

"Look, I was busy kidnapping sixteen people! Do you know how hard kidnappings are?!" Monokuma ranted.

"...Do you want me to say yes?" Izumi asked.

"VERY! Especially when one of them is a black ops super agent!" Monokuma shouted, pointing to Rinne.

"Well, you cheated," Rinne said, sticking her tongue out. "Horse tranquilizers is cheating, ya know."

"Shaddup! Anyway, you guys are gonna be going to be going without food for a bit. I'm beary sorry about that! Ruahahahaha!" He shouted, having a gut laugh.

"That pun was terrible," Chiwa said.

"Pah! You just don't appreciate the classics!" Monokuma said with a dismissive wave of his paw. The bear soon vanished as quickly as he appeared.

"...How can one person be so unhelpful?" Izumi asked.

"When they're a talking bear, Izumi," Rinne replied.

"Well, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Izumi, does your booth have any food in it?

"Huh? I think so… hold on, lemme check." Izumi said, looking through the cabinets. "Oh, we do! It's mostly pastry and bread stuff though. It's gonna be a lot of sandwiches, french toast, stuff like that."

"That will be fine for now," Saya said.


	7. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 2

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 2)

Junichi woke up in what felt like a nightmare. He was laying in the center of the large dining hall in a massive pile of his own blood. The last thing he remembered was intense pain, and now his entire upper body was unclothed and covered in blood-soaked bandages. He had a drip connected to one of his arms filled with more blood. Junichi could only assume that he was getting a blood transfusion.

The next thing he noticed, was the horrible pain he was in. "AAAAAHHHH!" he screamed out.

"You need to calm down, Junichi. The medication should be entering your system soon." said the woman with long blue-violet hair in a Monokuma-themed doctor's coat and red scarf. "If you start moving, you could aggravate the wound."

"I... I don't know what's happening." Junichi said, trying to ignore the pain. He looked over to see a Monokuma in a janitor's uniform, dipping a mop into a bucket of soapy water before pushing the wet mop against the streak of blood on the floor. The Janitor Monokuma looked at Junichi with an annoyed glance before turning back to mopping up Junichi's blood, smearing the blood around rather than actually cleaning it.

"You were injured trying to stop your friend from being executed." the doctor explained.

"Did I do it?" Junichi asked

"You did." She stated simply, Junichi sighing in relief. "I guess Monokuma lost interest in harming her after you got injured. So you did manage to do that, but you almost were killed in the process." She explained, holding a hand out.

"I nearly died, huh…" Junichi said, gazing emptily at one of his pale looking hands.

"That black spike that shot through your body? It was threaded between two major arteries of your heart, called the Subclavian Artery. It connects your heart to the vessels in your shoulders and arms. If it was moved one millimeter in either direction, it would sever the artery and you would have bled to death in 2 minutes." She explained. "You still required a transfusion of about 4 pints of blood from your injuries."

"R-really?" Junichi asked.

"Strangely, the spike threaded the hole in your clavicle and scapula. It came out between your ribs. No bones were broken, and no arteries were pierced. The only damage was to the soft tissue and the intercostal muscles, that and one of your lungs were bruised from the abrasion damage. It's.. almost miraculous, really." She explained, looking at her clipboard.

"Whoa… how did I… Wait, seriously?" Junichi said, stunned.

"Honestly, if you had no choice but to be impaled through your torso, this is probably the best possible outcome." She added. "Though, soft tissue damage and torn muscle is no joke. Your left arm won't function well for a few weeks, and you'll probably not be fully healthy again for a while after that."

"It still hurts a lot, but now that you've explained what happened.. I feel kind of lucky it isn't any worse," Junichi said, the doctor giving a low chuckle.

"Perhaps there is some merit in your selection as the Ultimate Lucky Student," she said. Grabbing a piece of fabric and looping it on Junichi's collar bone. It was a sling, she gripped his injured left arm, and pulled it into the sling in front of his chest. "You'll have to go one-handed for a while." She informed him. "At least a week before I think it's okay for you to use that arm again. And then afterward, you'll only be able to lift 10 kilograms in that arm and no more until you're fully healed."

"Ten kilograms…?" Junichi asked, the doctor sighing. The Janitor Monokuma soon pulled out a bucket of sawdust, using it to sponge up the blood-soaked water.

"I thought they taught metric in middle schools… 10 kilograms is a little over 20 pounds. At the most, you could probably hold a bucket of water in that arm." She explained. "Though you use your entire body when you lift something, so I advise you not to lift 10 kilograms or more in general."

"Oh…" Junichi said with an awkward chuckle. "What if I told you my grades weren't great?" He said, scratching some of his hair, looking at his arm and realizing he was sleeveless. In fact, he wasn't wearing a shirt at all. "Where's my hoodie?"

"I had to cut it up before I operated." She explained. "Manipulating you would have caused further injury, especially with how close that spike was to your major arteries. Cutting your clothes off means I can keep you still and still operate. "Your hoodie would have been destroyed anyway."

"Well, crap… guess I'm just gonna have to go shirtless, huh?" Junichi asked.

"Nope. Mr. Monokuma has supplied spare clothes for everyone in the Hanging Garden in their bedrooms." the doctor explained. "This should include plenty of copies of your jacket."

"Wait, how did he do that? How did he get my measurements?" Junichi asked.

"I had Kageri measure you the night we knocked you out!" Monokuma announced, ripping off his janitor's coat and throwing down his hat. "The Janitor Monokuma was the regular Monokuma the whole time!"

"...What?" Junichi asked

"Fun fact. Monokumas are Monokuma, funny that!" Monokuma said, pointing a finger to the ceiling.

"...Whatever, I guess."

"Ya know, I find it funny you didn't ask how we knew your blood type for that transfusion!"

Junichi looked over at his IV drip, Kageri quickly removing it so he could freely walk around the room. Junichi tried to stand up, but his legs immediately buckled and he fell back on the ground.

"Wait, you said you had Kageri measure me. Who's Kageri?" Junichi asked.

"That would be me. Dr. Kageri Saito, Head of MonoMedicine.

**Kageri Saito: Head of MonoMedicine**

"Oh… ehehehe, sorry. I probably didn't hear your name while I was screaming in agony." Junichi said sheepishly.

"It's fine. And yes, I did measure your body and the other's to make sure the clothes fit you all properly." Kageri said, helping Junichi back to his feet. "You might need help making it back to your room, so I'll offer you my shoulder," she said, Junichi nodding and turning back to Monokuma.

"Who are you supposed to be, anyway?" he asked.

"A mascot, that's all," Monokuma said matter-of-factly.

"But you can reply to me, you have to be controlled by someone…" Junichi surmised.

"I'm just somebody who thinks that people like you shouldn't exist!" Monokuma exclaimed, pointing a finger at Junichi.

"W-what?" Junichi asked, shocked.

"You're the wrong kind of hope, Junichi. I could explain… but I won't." Monokuma started, his playful tone fading. "My mission is to fix that and make the world a better place."

"The wrong kind of hope? I'm not any kind of hope! I'm just a normal guy! It's not like… It's not like I want to make the world a worse place. I just hang out and play video games most of the time. I have C+ grades! My mom taught me how to cook! I like manga! Nothing about me is anything special, or different. What kind of important person would be that needlessly average!?" Junichi shouted in confusion, though his exhaustion was making him start to gasp for air between sentences.

"Makoto Naegi," Monokuma said simply.

"The headmaster? What about him has to do with me?" Junichi asked.

"He was exactly like you. You look almost exactly like him, barring the red hair. You and he have so much in common, he spoke the same way about himself. He was the Ultimate Lucky Student, just like you. You even sound almost like him..." Monokuma said, counting on several fingers. "You're a Makoto ripoff, Junichi. I expect the same thing from you that I saw from him."

"I don't get it. You're implying I'm going to headmaster Hope's Peak? Why would I be interested in that!?"

"It made me realize that this whole thing is a cycle. And… another Makoto? Another one, really? Seeing you made me angry, angry enough to stick you in a killing game because I want to break that cycle. But not just any killing game… My killing game. A killing game… to save the world."

"How is killing supposed to save the world?" Junichi asked, very confused.

"Hey, no spoiler questions!" Monokuma said, jabbing a finger at Junichi. "Anyway, this big bear's got some thangs to do, so I'll see ya later!"

"Anyway… your prescription to deal with the pain is in your dorm room, so walking you to it has two purposes." Kageri said. "You need to take two capsules every 12 hours. One at breakfast, and one before bed. The pain should be dulled enough that you'll be fine unless you overexert yourself."

"So, I'll be good?" Junichi asked as he and Kageri walked to the dining hall door.

"Yes, as long as you aren't overexcited by outside-" Kageri said as she opened the door.

"Hiiii, JUNICHI~" Surumi exclaimed from the doorway, leaning from the side about a foot away from his face.

"Daaaaah! H-Holy shit!" Junichi screamed out, grabbing his chest from the pain his panic caused, he stumbled back and began to fall until Kageri caught him.

"...Stimuli." Kageri said with a sigh. "Surumi, Junichi nearly died. Are you sure you should startle him?"

"...Oh. I'm sorry, Junichi. I was just happy to see you were standing again." Surumi

"I-it's alright, just… don't do that again." Junichi said, holding a hand over his bandaged-over chest, his heart already pounding.

"Are you sure you're alright? Most humans aren't back up four hours after being impaled."

"I'm an expert surgeon, Surumi. I could re-attach Junichi's head to his neck with only a five-minute window." Kageri said.

".. My head didn't fall off, right? I hope not..." Junichi said.

"No. Now, come along." Kageri said, nudging him along the hall to the elevator. Surumi skipped along after them. As the three entered the elevator, Junichi began to think.

"So, you work for Monokuma, right?" Junichi asked.

"That's right," Kageri said with a nod.

"So, he thinks I'm ruining the world or something, but you seem so chill compared to him. Do you hate me too?"

"Of course not. I simply work for Mr. Monokuma. I retain my duties as a doctor first and foremost."

"Then wouldn't you have an opinion on trapping a bunch of 16 and 17-year-olds in a hotel to kill each other?" Junichi asked.

"There's not much I can do about that, unfortunately," Kageri said. "I will certainly do my best to prevent your deaths if you come to me, but otherwise I am to not in any way interfere with the Killing Suite."

"So, why work for him?" Junichi asked.

"It wasn't a choice I made willingly. None of the staff are here of their own volition." Kageri explained as the elevator came to a stop. "Some are… different than I. I assume you've met someone like that."

"Hojo?" Junichi asked since he was the first person to come to mind.

"He's certainly different from a lot of us," Kageri said in agreement as the doors opened. The three walked down the hall, stopping at Junichi's room.

"Here, allow me, Junichi. Dr. Saito." Surumi said, walking up to the door. She bent her knee at an angle, ripping the fastening of her sandal, pulling it through the loop and letting the sandal drop to the floor. "Hrm… I always hate having to turn doorknobs. Never as easy as door handles." she said as she made several awkward attempts to grab onto the doorknob with her foot.

"I hope your feet are clean," Junichi said, not wanting to touch that doorknob now.

"Of course they are! I have an attachment to my host body's limbs, cleanliness is important." Surumi said. "Now, let's see… aha!" Surumi said triumphantly. Through sheer determination and a touch of lunacy, Surumi managed to open the door, rearing back her foot to gently kick it open in full. "Victorious!"

"...Kay." Junichi said, kind of baffled. "So… this is my room?"

"Mhm. Now, please lay down on the bed." Kageri said, guiding him to the bed. "Surumi, check the dresser for one of Junichi's jackets."

Surumi nodded and gave a strange three-fingered hand gesture; only her index, middle and pinky fingers held up. Surumi skipped over to the dresser, opening up while Kageri worked to remove Junichi's arm from his sling.

"You'll need someone to help you in and out of your sling when changing," Kageri said, undoing the knot on his sling and letting his arm fall to the bed. Junichi winced slightly as Surumi looked through the dresser.

"So, this black T-shirt and the hooded sweatshirt with the 21 on it, right?" Surumi asked.

"Yeah… holy crap, did he really make that many jackets?" Junichi asked, lifting his head slightly to see a dresser full of hoodies.

"I think my boss more likely just bought copies of the same jacket online, instead of making them themselves." Kageri pointed out.

"Oh… well, that makes sense." Junichi said as Surumi walked over, throwing Junichi a shirt. Junichi lifted the T-shirt and slid his good arm into it, putting his head into the hole and try to get his other arm into it without lifting it. Surumi joined in, carefully moving the armhole close to Junichi's arm.

"Thanks," Junichi said, sliding his wounded arm through the hole before reaching for his jacket and sliding his arms into each sleeve. "Can you pull this onto my shoulders, Surumi?" he asked her. Surumi nodding and grabbing the hood of the jacket to slide it up his arms and onto his shoulders.

"Like that?"

"Yeah, thanks." Junichi started, reaching down to partially zip it up. "You're kind of strange, but I'm glad there are at least some nice people in this place."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I don't mind people being strange if they're alright people. I'm kind of used to being friends with the outcasts back in middle school." Junichi said as Kageri began to reset his sling.

"So, why do I need this sling?" Junichi asked.

"To keep you from tearing your pectoral muscle again while it heals. Your arm is fine, but slings are for shoulder and chest injuries, not arm injuries." Kageri explained, Junichi taking off his hat with one hand so he could adjust it. She tossed a small bottle onto his bed. "I'll leave you to rest. Don't overexert yourself, Mr. Ando."

"Will do," Junichi said as Kageri grabbed her bag and headed out of his room. Junichi turned to see Surumi leaning in very close to his face. "...Can I help you?"

"...I never noticed you had a small antenna sticking from your head." Surumi said, poking at a long stand of crooked hair at the top of his head.

"...Huh? Oh, that." Junichi said with a laugh. "My beanie messes up my hair, so I kind of stopped bothering combing it since it's gonna mess it up anyway."

"I see…" Surumi said, poking at his hair still.

"Can... can you not do that?" Junichi asked. "It's just hair, I don't have an antenna in there or anything."

"You don't? Well, that's disappointing." Surumi said with a pout. "I thought you would be anything besides normal from what the other human Ultimates are like," Surumi said, face shifting to a playful smile. "I thought you were in control of some kind of drone system!"

"Sorry to disappoint you," Junichi said, putting his hat back on his head. "I can't control drones or anything." He said, pulling it down low enough to line his face with his messy red hair. "I'm just a normal kid, with normal pants," he added with a chuckle.

"Perhaps in terms of biology and physiology, yes, but I would say you're an exceptional being in other ways," Surumi replied, smiling at him. "It is rare for humans to be so accepting and understanding of my situation, so to find someone who doesn't ridicule me... "

"I mean, you're a bit weird, but you're not an asshole or anything… You have to piss me off before I'd dislike you." Junichi said. "I'm not swarming with friends or anything… Even in middle school. Why would I be picky when it comes to who I can be friends with?" He asked, getting a quiet stare from Surumi.

"I'm just saying, Surumi… If we're both gonna be in the weirdo club, screw it, we might as well stick together!" Junichi said, giving a thumbs up. Surumi smiled and returned the thumbs up.

"Yeah!" Surumi exclaimed.

"Screw it, The Weirdo Club is here to stay," Junichi said. Surumi reached into her pocket and grabbed Junichi's beanie, pinning something onto it.

"What are you doing?" Junichi asked, Surumi turning to face him and revealing a pin she had placed on the hat. It was dark blue, with what appeared to be alien writing on the front that was a bright shade of green.

"This is a badge considering you a peacekeeper in the Intergalactic Federation! I felt like you deserve it for your kindness." Surumi said.

"Oh, that's cool! Did you make it?" Junichi asked, Surumi nodding. "What's it mean?"

"It's the Four Oaths of the Intergalactic Federation: Unity, Freedom, Knowledge, and Hope!" Surumi exclaimed.

"I see…" Junichi said before shrugging and putting the beanie on. "Well, I think it looks neat."

"Thank you," Surumi said, a soft growl hitting their ears. "Hrm… My host body is becoming weaker. Perhaps some nutrient slurry would be useful…"

"...Nutrient slurry?" Junichi asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes! Nutrient slurry for sustenance! We require nutrient slurry to feed our squishy organic bio-forms!" Surumi exclaimed. "Especially in the liquid form contained in silver pouches!"

"Like… like a juice packet?" Junichi asked, trying to decipher Surumi's bizarre proclamations.

"Exactly! You can drink it through your teeth!" Surumi said.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have something with these," Junichi said, shaking his pill bottle. "Swallowing pills without something to drink is awful."

Surumi nodded and skipped over to do the door, opening it to see Asana in the doorframe. "Ah, good evening, Asana!"

"Yo, Junichi alive in there?"

"Yeah, somehow," Junichi said, walking up to the door, putting his uninjured arm against the door to show the sling he was wearing.

"Goddamn, Red. I thought you were going to be out at least a week with getting a spear put in you." Asana said. "Guess they don't call you the Ultimate Lucky Student for nothing,"

"I'm gonna be hearing that a lot, huh?" Junichi said, Asana giving a lighthearted chuckle.

"Maybe," she said. "Anyway, I'm here to thank you for saving my ass."

"Huh? ..Oh, right." Junichi said. "Well... I didn't really think about what was happening. I thought something bad was gonna happen and just jumped out."

"I'll admit, maybe I could've dodged it since I noticed it too… But you tried to help even though you didn't have a reason to care. That takes a very special kinda person." Asana said.

"Honestly, I thought you were gonna call me an idiot," Junichi said. "Cuz I feel… really like an idiot for knowing you could have avoided it."

"I don't care how stupid or smart someone is. I care about what they got inside. Their guts, ya know? You seem to be a pretty normal dude, but you have some fucking courage deep in you and I respect that." Asana said. "Besides, if anyone was the idiot there, it was me. I lost my shit and went for that bear robot thing as hard as I could. I thought he was messing with us.. I didn't think he was for real! He's… a stupid bear thing. How am I supposed to take that seriously?"

"I guess we have no choice but to treat that seriously… But," Junichi said, looking away. "Thanks for saying I'm brave… I don't really do that kind of thing, though… I probably wouldn't do it again, to be honest." he said sheepishly.

"Not judging you, you sort of got impaled. I just.. Feel bad I almost got you killed, dude." she said, scratching the back of her head. "So, what're you nerds up to?" Asana asked.

"We are on a journey for sustenance!" Surumi chirped.

"Yeah, gettin' food," Junichi said, acting as Surumi's interpreter. 

"Hell yeah! I've been doing a run around these halls and I could totally use something to fill my stomach!" Asana said, pumping her fist.

"I would thoroughly enjoy a juice pouch of human nourishment of the red flavor," Surumi said.

"Want to haul some ass to the dining hall, Junichi?" Asana offered, jogging in place for emphasis.

"Not sure that's a good idea, Six or so hours after being impaled," Junichi said

"How about you, Surumi? Wanna race me?" Asana asked, Surumi shaking her head.

"I'd rather stay behind to make sure Junichi makes it to the dining hall safely," Surumi said, Asana shrugging.

"Alright, nerds. I'll see ya at the elevator," Asana said, charging to the elevator.

"She's taking to being trapped in here like a waterfowl to a large pool of dihydrogen monoxide."

"...What?" Junichi asked, confused.

"Come along, Junichi. To the elevator!" Surumi exclaimed, pointing her finger down the hall. She took his hand as the two walked their way down. Junichi tripped a few times, Surumi supporting his weight as they made it into the elevator.

"About time. What took you two?" Asana said, pressing the button for the 18th floor as the door shut.

"Sorry, didn't tie my shoes. Don't think I can. Surumi, could you tie my shoes for me?" Junichi asked.

"Ah, sorry. This host body has difficulty tying knots." Surumi said with a bow.

"You're kidding…" Junichi said, the elevator heading down, the doors closing and their weight shifting in the lift.

"I have no reason to jest, Junichi. It's why I always wear sandals." Surumi said.

"You have like… three different reasons you wear sandals." Junichi pointed out.

"I'm multifaceted," Surumi said with a coy smile.

"Hold on, lemme do this," Asana said, bending down to tie Junichi's shoelaces, each one with a simple double loop with little or no string left over to trip him or flop off the sides of his shoes. "Boom."

"Thanks," Junichi said as the elevator came to a stop, the doors sliding open. They headed for the dining hall, seeing Touki heading back from that way. "Yo, what's up, Touki?"

"Oh snap! Welcome back to the land of the living, Junichi!" Touki exclaimed, putting a hand up for Junichi to high-five.

"Thanks, bro," Junichi said, giving Touki a high-five. "You getting some food too, dude?"

"Yeah… about that. You bled a lot… And apparently, they have to shampoo the carpets to get rid of the stains." Touki said, adjusting his cap with his gloved hands. "And Monokuma says they haven't got their food order, so even when they get the place clean, we're gonna be waiting a while."

"He trapped us in here and won't even give us food?"Junichi asked.

"He says he's gonna have a big banquet in a few days to make up for it," Touki said with a shrug. "Anyway, I was gonna check out the Mini Mall. You wanna come with?"

"Wait, this hotel has a mini-mall?" Junichi asked.

"Yeah, Monokuma said he wasn't gonna open that floor, but he opened it up to apologize for the food shortage," Touki explained.

"But won't a mini-mall require currency?" Surumi asked, Touki reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small handful of copper coins with Monokuma's face emblazoned onto them on both sides.

"While I was waiting for you to wake up, I found a few of these in random places like trash cans and between couch cushions. I asked Monokuma about them and said they're called Monocoins." Touki explained. "He said they're for the Mini Mall, the Arcade and Casino and for the vending machines. He also said something about a Mono MaKeen? I dunno what that was about…"

"I haven't seen them around here…"

"They're everywhere if you look. Mostly under chairs and tables. I'd also check behind paintings and under any decorations you see." Touki explained.

"So, if I just start smashing up furniture, I'll find money?" Asana asked, cracking her knuckles with a wicked smile.

"I don't think Monokuma will like you more if you start obliterating his furniture " Touki commented. "He also said something about inflation affecting the prices of goods, and boasting that you only need 3 Monocoins to buy a meal and not 450 yen."

"...Why would a talking bear care about economics? What is it, bearconomics?" Asana asked.

"...Hey, Touki, you got any spare Monocoins?" Junichi asked, Touki tossing his handful to Junichi.

"Heck yeah, dude. I got too many. I hate having coins in my pockets, they keep jingling when I walk and the coins hit against my thighs every step." Touki said, Junichi catching the underhanded lob and looking to see about 8 copper colored coins adorned with the bear mascot.

"Screw it, let's go shopping," Junichi announced, pocketing his coins and returning to the elevator.


	8. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 3

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 3)

Junichi, flanked by Asana, Touki, and Surumi arrived at the floor with the minimart and were shocked how accurate that description was when the double doors opened. White tiles as far as the eyes could see, with massive mural paintings of Monokuma along each of the pastel blue walls; leading a small gaggle of ducklings while walking a tightrope. Him falling from the sky while holding an inverted umbrella, Monokuma sitting in a crib surrounded by an assortment of toys in a matching diaper. It seemed each section was extremely vaguely associated with each department of the massive mart.

A very low-quality speaker was streaming various low budget, 80's sounding music throughout the entire mart, and there was even a Pharmacy in one of the corners, but the P had been taken off the sign to spell 'Harmacy,' instead. "It's just like a mini mall," Junichi observed.

"This seems like a lot of work to put in if he just wants most of us to kill each other," Asana commented.

"You know, that's the common misconception about these Killing Games. It's not that I _want _you to kill each other. It's just the only way out is to kill someone," Monokuma pointed out. "Ideally, either one or two of you guys die, or all of you die and one lives " he added.

"You said it yourself!" Junichi shouted at him.

"Hey, I don't MAKE you guys kill each other. Honestly, if you peeps want to just hang out here for the rest of your lives, I don't care." He said, waddling over to grab an umbrella from a shelf and opening it over his head, giving a little twirl before looking back at the four students "I mean… If you don't mind abandoning your previous life and loved ones, of course."

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you implying you'll trap us in here forever?" Touki said, bewildered.

"Yuh, that was the whole point behind the thing I was saying, Dorkimus Maximus," Monokuma said, giving a giggle. "So until you guys get sick of being in this little theme park of a world I've made, shop 'til you drop! Both figuratively, and literally!" He announced, before floating upward into the ceiling through a trapdoor. "Puhuhuhu~ Away!"

"How the hell did he do that? Does he have trap doors everywhere?" Asana asked.

"I wouldn't worry about it now," Touki said, tossing coins for Asana and Surumi.

"Do you think he left Monocoins in the store itself? Maybe we can find the coins underneath boxes of laundry detergent or something." Asana said.

"I guess the first thing is to figure out what the heck I'm gonna buy," Junichi replied, walking into the store. Touki walked alongside him.

"Man, you really got messed up by that spear, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I got really lucky. I managed to hit no major arteries, just muscle damage." Junichi started. "None of my bones were broken, either…"

"Well, guess you really are the-" Touki began.

"If you say Ultimate Lucky Student, I will smack you with my good arm," Junichi warned with a chuckle. "I've got a mean backhand, just so you know."

"I can take you. You only got one arm." Touki said. "I'd rather take my chances against you than Saya with that yardstick."

"I haven't really met Saya yet. Was she the girl with the yardstick?" He asked Touki, who just sighed and shook his head.

"She's a goddamn dictator, Junichi." He replied with a sigh, shaking his head. "It's the worst thing, she's so my type and yet she won't even speak to me now," Touki said as he shoved his hands in his coat pockets.

"What did you do?" Junichi asked.

"I didn't do anything!" Touki said defensively. "I just gave her a few compliments, ya know? And now she has Izumi talk to me for her, it's so stupid! I can't win with girls, man…" Touki said, kicking at the air in annoyance.

"Izumi told me ya wanted her to step on your face." Asana pointed out.

"GAH! Asana! Don't say it out loud!" Touki said, not wanting other people to hear that.

"Touki, are you like.. Secretly a sex weirdo?" Junichi asked.

"N-no! No way. That was just… you don't get it, okay? You just don't get it!" Touki shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Junichi.

"Glad to know you're a freak in the sheets, Touki," Asana said as she slapped Touki on the back, before giving a loud laugh.

"I-I'm not a sex pervert!" Touki yelled.

"Just let me know if you want to give me money to hear me belch through a walkie talkie, Touki," Asana said, jokingly. "I mean if that gets you off."

"Okay, that's just gross. Where did you even come up with that?" Touki asked.

"I read about it on the internet!" Asana said. "Same place where people watch girls sit on grapes!"

"I… do I wanna know what your search history looks like?" Touki asked, backing away slightly.

"Heh! You're too easy, ya know that?" Asana asked, chuckling. "Anyway, where's the protein?"

"Hm, it should be in the Harmaceutical section…" Surumi surmised, pointing toward the pharmacy.

"Heck yeah! I can see it now! Thanks, Surumi!" Asana called as she ran toward the pharmacy. Surumi offering a big wave to see her off.

"And three remain," Touki said, looking at the names of each section hanging from the ceiling. "Now, what do I want…?"

"Maybe some ice for that burn Asana gave you?" Junichi taunted.

"Shut up," Touki responded, laughing. "You said you wanted food, right? Well unless you have a stove in your room, you might need to get Izumi to cook it for you."

"Does her room have a stove?" Junichi asked, confused.

"No, but she has a diner, apparently," Touki said.

"I see. Maybe we could pick her up some supplies." Junichi suggested.

"Sure," Touki said as he headed for the food aisles, Junichi following him as Surumi broke away from the two of them. Each item of food showed a tag, Monokuma holding the price of the product in Monocoins. Cans of tuna were 1 coin, a premade sushi platter was 10 coins, a can of condensed milk was 5 coins. A small bag of confectioner's sugar was 2 coins, but as Junichi was looking at it, a hand reached down to grip the bag and lift it away.

"Huh?" Junichi turned to see someone standing there. It was that spindly, black-haired girl that he saw back in the dining hall.

"Uhh. Sorry, did you need that?" Izumi asked.

"No, no. You just startled me a bit." Junichi said, tilting his head to one side. 

"Wait, aren't you Junichi?" Izumi asked, worried. "Didn't you… Didn't you die?" She asked, her long fingernails tapping at her lower lip.

"I'm bad at dying," Junichi said, laughing at his own statement.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was impaled, it seemed to miss all of my organs, so my recovery was a bit quicker than expected."

"Wow… I guess that really means you're the Ulti-"

"I'm not going to keep doing that!" Junichi suddenly snapped.

"W-what!?" Izumi exclaimed, confused and frightened.

"Everyone keeps making the same joke! I get it! Ultimate Lucky Student! Ha ha ha ha! Do you know how unfunny you guys are!?"

"I… I… W-waahhh!" Izumi cried out, tears welling in her eyes.

"Dude, not cool. Makin' a girl cry like that." Touki said, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't me-" Junichi began when he felt a stinging strike across his face. "OW! What the hell was that?!"

"That was me." said the girl in white, twirling a yardstick in her fingers. She slung the yardstick over one shoulder and pushed up her broken pair of glasses.

"W-why did you hit me?!" He said, spinning back around. He then gestured to his sling. "I'm injured, y'know. Do you just g-go around and hit injured people!? Do you love pushing people in wheelchairs down stairs too!?"

"I hit you because you were being an imbecile. The beatings continue when the stupidity continues." Saya said. "Besides, you associate with Minami, so I can assume you are of the same mental wavelength."

"I'm not like Touki, I'm not going to make you do weird shit to turn me on," Junichi explained, his brain finally connecting the dots and realizing that this girl was Saya, and the other girl must be Izumi from Touki's description earlier.

"H-how could you betray me like that, Junichi?!" Touki butted in over his shoulder. "Don't keep bringing that up! I thought we were bros!"

"And that only confirms it. Igarashi, dry your eyes. These cretins aren't worth your tears." Saya said.

"H-huh?" Izumi asked, sniffling a bit.

"Hey! Who are you calling a cretin?!" Touki shouted.

"...Saya's calling you a cretin, Touki." Izumi said, wiping her eyes. Touki face faulted at that.

"You're still doing that?!" Touki exclaimed.

"Sorry, Saya said she's never talking to you, so I have to be an intermediary," Izumi said with a bow.

"Wait, you weren't kidding about that?" Junichi asked.

"No, dude! She seriously won't talk to me!" Touki exclaimed.

"I gave my word I would not speak to Minami and I will keep to that," Saya explained to Junichi. "You are proving to be unimpressive, so mind your tongue or I will not speak to you either."

"Look, I just wanted to ask what you were down here for, can we… stop the shenanigans for a while?" Junichi asked.

"If you must know, I am looking to replace my broken glasses. If this place has a properly functioning pharmacy, they should have prescription glasses." Saya explained.

"Well… they have a harmacy," Junichi said with a chuckle, getting a laugh from Izumi and a cool glare from Saya. "Ehehehe… sorry. Anyway, we learned about the dining hall being shut down, so we wanted to look for money. Touki said you've got a diner, Izumi." he said, Izumi's eyes lighting up.

"Yes! Yes!" Izumi said cheerfully, bouncing on her toes. "It's so wonderful! You really have to see it!"

"Do you need to be paid to cook dinner?" Junichi asked.

"No, food's on the house, mostly. I do accept tips, though. I could take you there right now if you wanted!" Izumi said.

"Well, Junichi and I were thinking of buying some food for your diner," Touki said. "It was totally my idea."

"I do need more supplies! All I have is flour, eggs, and sugar." Izumi explained. "That's a good idea, Touki. You can take some of my coins too to buy some more!" Izumi said, reaching into her pocket and handing Touki some Monocoins.

"It seems Minami is good for something after all…" Saya said, keeping her eyes off Touki.

"I'll remember you did that," Junichi said, lightly nudging him with his working elbow.

Saya turned to Junichi and threw some Monocoins to him. "Ando, you assist him," she said. Junichi tried to catch the coins, but half of them just fell to the floor, making Junichi sigh.

"I'll make a shopping list for you two. I'll help you any way you need me as long as you get things off the list, alright?" Izumi offered, as Junichi leaned down to scoop up the lazily tossed coins off of the floor.

"Sure," Touki said, pulling out his trusty notepad and a black pen. Izumi began to list over each thing she would need for her cafe as, Touki grabbing a small shopping cart to throw in the various food, dairy, and veggies as the two wandered off, leaving Junichi with Saya.

"So… you're Saya, huh?" Junichi said, trying to break the ice.

"Indeed. Saya Kiruma, Ultimate Student Council President. Formalities won't be necessary, Ando. I think I've learned enough about you, Ando. If you'll excuse me…" Saya said, walking away from Junichi. Junichi sighed and headed off to catch up with Touki and Izumi.

Saya made her way to the pharmacy, finding it to be thankfully empty, though with an overturned shelf of nutritional supplements. Saya took a long, beleaguered sigh and walked around the shelf, walking over the reception desk and ringing the bell. "Hello, Saya! What can I uh-do ya for?!" Hojo shouted, making a weird, quick pause to look away from her, so he could emphasize the 'do' in his sentence.

Saya felt a sick feeling in her stomach. Of course, the worst scenario she had considered in interacting with someone to get her prescription glasses replaced… the worst option would have been Hojo. And of course, it was Hojo. Why wouldn't it be Hojo? "Hello again, Hojo…" Saya said, rubbing her temple with one hand.

"You need some en-thuuuu-zi-asm, Lil gal! Wazzup? How can I help ya?" Hojo asked, head twitching slightly.

"I want this to not happen," Saya said bluntly.

"Sorry missy, Causality is a bee-yatch. I run this phizzarmacy, so ya gotta deal with me." Hojo said, clapping his hands together. "So, what's gonna cure what ails ya?"

"Why are you here, and not the bear?" Saya asked, not trying to react to his butchering of human words.

"Because you look like the type of girl who demands to speak to the manager! I thought dealing with me would be more appropriate than the bear." He said, offering a finger gun in her direction. "You're welcome, by the way."

"..." Saya just shook her head at that insult. She pinched her temples for the hope her head would explode and this conversation could be over. "I... need new glasses."

"Yooooou got it! Good thing we looked at your eyeballs, missy!" He said, turning around and pulling a similar set of thin, rectangular glasses to the ones she currently had. "Because your -2.75, nearsighted bifocal glasses are ready to go!" He said, sliding them in front of her. "These are made from a dope polycarbonate and are drop resistant! You can drop them, but they'd still break if you run them over with a steam roller!"

"You… measured my eyeballs?" Saya asked, setting her broken glasses on the table and unfolding the ear rests of her new ones, adjusting them to see if it cleared her vision up. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think Junichi just got some schmo's blood when he got impaled by that spear? A-no. Junichi's blood was placed in bags so we had a 0% chance of rejection!" Hojo explained. "We have most of your medical records to keep keepin' you guys alive so you can kill each other!"

Saya was always surprised by how Hojo could shift from half-creepy, half-annoying into a full-blown creepy. She began checking her arms for bumps from needles pricking her skin. She tried thinking back to any time she could remember being sick or injured during the months she was held captive. All the refills on her inhaler...

"If… If you people took the opportunity to evaluate my medical record… It would have to be… when you would make me pass out with sleeping gas, wouldn't it?" Saya said, walking up and pressing both hands on the table hard enough to make the potted plant on it bounce gently and slosh with the water that it was filled with.

"Ding ding ding!" Hojo said with a smile. "It's hard to do a medical check up on someone who isn't willing to get one. You noticed there was a pattern after a while, didn't you?" He asked.

"A pattern… What do you mean a pattern?" Saya said, wondering if what days the sleeping gas knocked her out had any significance, or pattern to them.

"Think about the days!" He said, clearly trying to give her the hint.

"You made me pass out every week, right? And those were medical anesthetics so I wouldn't wake up from the pain of needles, or the drawing of blood." Saya surmised, getting a clap from Hojo in response.

"Good job, we did knock you out every seven days. How clever!" He said with a laugh, Saya sighed and stood back up straight.

"What about my breathing medication?" Saya asked, her voice dropping in volume slightly so nobody heard that she mentioned it aloud.

"Ooooh… Yeah, we're outta that." He said, scratching his beard. "Why do you ask, are you running out?"

"It's about 2/3rds empty," Saya replied, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of people knowing everything about her medically. "I would need a replacement soon, or my attacks might go out of control." She stated.

"Hm… You should come back right when you run out. I'm sure the boss will have it ready for you as soon as it does! He just wants to save money, though." Hojo added, lifting a finger.

"Fine, so if I come back here when my inhaler is depleted, there will be absolutely a spare?" Saya asked, tapping the table with a finger.

"Ab-so-lutely." He said, nodding his head on each syllable. Saya took a deep breath, turned herself around and sat her metal yardstick on her shoulder so should walk away from him. She didn't want to give him goodbye, to make him assume she was fond of him… That would be a nightmare for her.

"I'll be here if you need me!" Hojo shouted, waving an arm wildly at her.

"I don't need you." She replied, coldly.

Though, in finding any way to get away from Hojo, she wasn't really sure which way she went in the store, as she was now in an unfamiliar aisle, camping, fishing and survival gear. The shelves were fashioned with tents, lanterns, fishing rods, and more. Though, the first thing she thought was it was strange to have an outdoor section when they're trapped in a building for the indefinite future.

A familiar silhouette caught her now improved gaze, someone wearing a bear pelt over their head and shoulders as a hood. She had seen him stood in the corner of the room, speaking to no one and usually looking through his hood with glowing golden eyes. Saya slowly made her approach to the Ultimate Hunter, seeing the strange auburn-haired girl in the overalls standing next to him, pointing to each of her wristbands.

"-And this one is the Bear. Being born under the bear means you're born with great strength and a noble, if alone nature. That you won't mess with someone unless they mess with you or your kin first." Surumi explained before moving to the next constellation. "And then there is- Ah! Good evening, Saya!"

"Good evening, Takeuchi. And good evening to you, Suba." Saya said.

"Your spectacles are fixed!" Surumi pointed out, Saya smirking and adjusting her glasses.

"Indeed they are," she said. "Now then, if I could talk to Suba in private…"

Surumi nodded and gave an odd three-fingered salute before skipping off. "You. You've spoken less than ten words since we were locked in here, especially after the bear announced this Killing Game." Saya began.

"And?" he asked

"I find it disrespectful," Saya said, walking to his side to look at what he was inspecting, he appeared to be inspecting a red carabiner, rubbing his thumb along the metal to check its quality. "You might not have to like interacting with other people, but being secretive will just make people suspicious of you."

"I say let them be suspicious of me." He said, turning over the price tag and pulling an extra Monocoin hidden underneath of the price tag for the carabiner. "It doesn't matter what their opinion of me is."

"Perhaps, but in a situation where we are being pitted against each other, it's better to have everyone on the same page than to have an outlier," Saya said. "If we're going to work together-"

"Who said anything about working together?" Katsuya interjected.

"What?" Saya asked, taken aback.

"This is a Killing Game, after all. The only way to escape isn't to work together. It's to kill a fellow student. Everyone is making their little cliques and buddying up because they're waiting for the right moment to attack." Katsuya said.

"You can't seriously believe that. We're not-" Saya said before Katsuya spoke up.

"Trust breeds betrayal. And I'm not going to put myself at risk by giving myself an extra blind spot to worry about. If everyone is my enemy, I have no reason to be paranoid, or lose sleep at night." Katsuya continued. Saya reared back her yardstick, ready to strike Katsuya for cutting her off again when he caught the ruler with his hand. "You were going to say that you aren't planning a murder. Maybe not yet… but your relationship-"

"I'm not going to commit a murder," Saya said, cutting him off for a change.

"Yeah, I know. But… wouldn't it make sense if you were putting yourself in the position of killing someone by getting them to trust you as their… 'leader'? Maybe the waitress?" Katsuya asked.

"No. I am not going to kill Igarashi. Why would I-" Saya began.

"Because she's weaker than you. Weaker in character. She's a scared little kitten, mewling to you at every shadow that passes by the wall. She's not fit to survive in this world or this killing game." Katsuya said, his voice never moving from a calm drone, staying the same volume and cadence. "There is no room for emotion or attachments in this world."

"..." Saya clenched her fists.

"I'm aware that seems cold, but I have to be. Do you think this world was made for peace? In the last thousands of years… how many times did we have to kill each other for something that didn't matter? We killed for things we thought we cared about, and the moment we had it… it was worthless." Katsuya said, cracking his knuckles. "It only seemed worth getting… because we had an attachment to it." He continued. "Be it country, territory, money…love. You'd only die for it, kill for it, because you came to care about it, which makes it a weakness."

"You're… you're only a teenager. How did you…?" Saya asked, visibly uncomfortable. Katsuya grabbed the ears of his bear hide and pulled his hood down to reveal a mop of messy blonde hair, matted by the wearing of his hood. His cat-like golden eyes glaring at her. His face had several deep scars streaking across the front of his otherwise boyish face. Though, Saya could tell he lacked a luster in his eyes. It was like he was looking past her instead of at her.

"How did I come to see the world like this? Do you want a sad backstory that makes me seem mentally ill, or tragic?" Katsuya replied, shaking his head. "It's not because I want to make people bad for me, I just... Realized something one day."

"I want to know what makes you tick, Suba. Spare me the condescension." Saya said, pulling her yardstick away from his grip

"Very well. It started when my father died hunting a cougar in the American wilds… My custody was given to my grandfather, who had survived for decades on his own. The reason my father died was that he wasn't strong enough… He was in a hunting party and his fellow hunters abandoned him to bleed to death in the forest." He started.

"My grandfather's lessons and the death of my father taught me the real rule of the world. Kill, or be killed," Katsuya continued, looking at the floor. "When I turned nine… My grandfather gave me his ultimate test and left me alone in the forest for three years. I had to learn how to kill, how to keep myself warm, and how to depend entirely on myself. And, this obsession of the modern world to put fake attachment to things that aren't just survival disgusts me." He said, Saya calmly gripping her ruler as she listened. "The bear I'm wearing on my head? I killed it, and it damaged my face with this scar." He said, pointing to his face.

"So you're going to follow the rules of some serial killer instead of besting them? Are you the kind of person who would give up so easily?" Saya countered, but that caused Katsuya to stifle a laugh.

Katsuya reached down and in a flash, hurled something to land right next to Saya's head. Her cheek sliced open and began to leak blood from it from the grazing cut, as she turned her eyes to see a knife embedded in the wall. Saya gasped from the surprise, feeling her heartbeats spike in her chest, soon, Katsuya had shoved her against the wall.

Katsuya walked up, pressing their torsos together and glared into her eyes. "Remember this, it's everyone versus you. And if you want to cling to the idea of trust, be my guest," he said, reaching up and slowly pulling the knife off the wall, letting her see that it was coated in a small splatter of her blood. The sting of pain formed in her cheek as he twirled his knife, and slid it back into his pocket. "But the time someone dies isn't an if… It's a when." He said, pulling away from her and walking away.

Saya reached up to stroke the cut on her cheek, blood leaking from it and coating her fingertips as she pulled it in front of her to look at it. She quickly pulled out her inhaler, taking a small burst of medicine. She had a little left and had to ration it, but she just needed enough to appear calm so she can walk to bed without people asking why she was so pale, and why her fingers were starting to tremble. She returned to the pharmacy reception desk, where Hojo set down a box of bandaids.

"Looks like you'll be needing a nondescript adhesive bandage!" He said, as Saya threw 4 Monocoins onto the table, squandering the last of the coins she had to tip Izumi later for dinner.

"What?" Saya asked, confused.

"The actual name of these are trademarked!" Hojo said with a smile.

:..Fine." Saya said, opening the box and looking for a mirror. She took a 3-inch bandage, took off the backing protecting the sticky layer and stuck the bandage on her face to cover up the damage on her face. She started thinking of how to explain the wound, not wanting to create tension in the group. If someone confronted Katsuya over his actions if Saya explained the truth, he might act on his words. They might try to respond to his attack and get severely hurt… or worse.

"Saya! I'm back with food for-" Izumi said as she walked up with a full shopping cart, stopping as she saw Saya turn to face her. "W-What happened to your face?!"

"I scraped my face on the corner of one of these shelves while I was picking something up. They're rather… sharp. I had to buy a pack of bandages for it."

"Oh… I hope it's not infected or anything. I'd hate for you to get tetanus or something."

"Well, it's done now and I have to live with it," Saya said.

"Are you coming up for dinner? Junichi just finished shopping with Touki and I'm going to cook for him. Did you want something too?"

"No… I'm fine. The stress is making my stomach sour, so I think sleep might be better for me." Saya said, taking a deep sigh afterward.

"Okay, hope you have a good sleep," Izumi said.

"Thank you, Igarashi. I hope your first meal in your lab goes well." Saya said, walking off back to the elevator.

**END OF DAY ONE**

**20 DAYS REMAIN**


	9. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 4

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 4)

_Ding Dong, Bing Bong._

"Gyyyyyyyyoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood morning, students! Phewie that was a long one. How ya'll doin'!? It's 7 AM, so it's time to wake up and get your day started!" came the voice of Monokuma from the monitor hanging over the wall in Junichi's bedroom. "Oh, and before I forget, Hojo has free DVD players in the Mini-Mall! They're free because they're mandatory, go get them!" The bear shouted before the screen went back to a bouncing Monokuma head screensaver.

Junichi opened his eyes, and the first thing he felt was how sore he was. His body creaked as he got out of bed and took a deep breath. He didn't even change out of his clothes since last night, Monokuma didn't provide him with pajamas, and he thought if he took off too much of his clothes, his injuries would make it too hard to get himself dressed without help again. So he slept in his jeans and his shirt, taking his jacket and beanie off so he wasn't too warm in his bed.

It was wild he was actually trapped here, he kept feeling like this must be the longest dream of his life. But he woke up yet again, and he was still in this hotel room, and he was still in awful pain. He reached over to his dresser, pulling the bottle of pills over into his hand and emptying two capsules into his hand, quickly gathering enough spit to swallow them instead of getting a glass of water. The lump crawled down his throat, and he hauled his weak body out of bed, sliding his sock covered feet into his loosely tied shoes so he wouldn't have to get someone to tie them again.

He went up to the mirror, turned the faucet on and looked at himself… He looked like complete shit. His hair was dried out and frizzy, his face was paler than ever and he was starting to get these sunken rings around his eyes.

He gingerly took off his shirt to get a good look at his injury for the first time. He was expecting a hole wide enough to see daylight through as he took off his bloodsoaked bandages. The injury was cleanly stitched shut, with some dried blood on the edges of it. He slammed back a glass of water, then reached up to touch his injury, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"H-hold on! I'm getting dressed." He called out, throwing his grey flaming skull T-shirt back over his head, and did a sluggish jog to the door. Though, he hesitated to open it… Monokuma said it was a game to see who would murder someone first, would he be safe with his injury? He decided to take the risk, pulling the door open to see the bear mask-clad doctor standing in front of him, in her hand tucked a bandage wrap, her single pink eye looking down at the slightly shorter teenager.

"It's Kageri, I wanted to give you a fresh set of bandages this morning." She said, Junichi stepping to the side to allow her into his room and shutting the door behind her. "Would you like me to put them on, or do you think you could put them on yourself?" She asked, Junichi looking at the floor and crossing his arms in thought.

"I don't think I can use my arm to wrap it behind my shoulder without hurting myself, it might be better if I had you just do it," Junichi stated, Kageri nodding and walking over to the edge of his unmade bed.

"Sit down, then. I'll remove your shirt and start wrapping the bandages," she said, Junichi taking a seat beside her as she pulled his T-shirt back off of his body and started by pressing a gauze pad against his injured chest.

She slowly began to wrap his injury, alternating from wrapping under his arm, over his shoulder, and across his chest. It was tight that the bandage wouldn't slip, but not tight enough for Junichi to feel like it was squeezing his injured chest. "Did you take your pain medication this morning?"

"Yeah, I did," Junichi replied, taking a sigh.

"Did you eat anything before you took the pill? On an empty stomach, it might cause your stomach to bleed." Kageri explained. Junichi sat up and made an awkward clearing of his throat.

"Oh, uhh… I forgot about that bit." He said, half laughing to make him feel a little better about that mistake.

"Then as soon as we're done, you absolutely have to eat breakfast. I'll tell somebody to fetch Izumi early to cook something for you." She replied, using the bandages property to stick to itself to make tying a knot on his bandage unnecessary. She slid his shirt back on over his head, then went over to grab his sling and set it on his lap.

"I uh... I feel bad for making Izumi do so much work." Junichi said, shaking his head from the feeling of guilt.

"She offered to cover food for the students because of my boss' lack of preparation to cook meals for everyone." Kageri pointed out. "Doing something out of kindness doesn't mean you owe them unless you wish to show gratitude." She explained, Junichi looked up at her, but then another knock sounded on his door.

"...Why do people want to come to see me as soon as they wake up?" Junichi said, with a sigh, putting his sling back over his shoulder and standing up, as Kageri got off of his bed and followed him to answer the door.

"You must be popular," Kageri said with a soft, womanly chuckle. Junichi opened the door to reveal the familiar sight of Touki, in his usual brown outfit and matching hat.

"Yo, Junichi," Touki said, giving a little wave.

"Oh, what's up, Touki?" Junichi asked, his free hand stuffing itself into one of his pants pockets.

"I was going to ask if you saw Saya after we got done shopping for Izumi last night, I thought she was coming to dinner but she didn't show up!" Touki complained, Junichi narrowing his gaze at him. "I tried asking Izumi where she went, but she wouldn't tell me anything besides that 'she left' and won't be having dinner with us." Touki finished explaining, Junichi just sighing in response.

"I wouldn't know where she was, dude. Why does it matter, anyway? Doesn't she hate your guts?" Junichi asked, Touki just awkwardly laughing in response.

"Ahaha… Don't remind me." Touki said, waving a hand casually at him. "It was out of concern I'm not going to… present her with a greeting card or something, that'd be kind of stupid on my part," he added.

"Eh, she can take care of herself. I mean, she's not the one who got rammed with a spear," Junichi said with a weak shrug. "Anyway, I gotta get some food in my belly. You wanna come with?"

"Sure. Izumi's lab again?" Touki asked. Junichi nodded, heading for the elevator. "Unless you feel like getting frozen 'food' you can microwave from the Minimart. Though… we might also have to buy a microwave to do that." Touki added, with finger quotes on the word food.

"Yeah, I don't have the time, Monocoins or stomach for that " Junichi replied as another door opened in front of them. "I'm not sure I want to eat a half plastic microwave pizza covered in ketchup."

Surumi skipped out of her bedroom, waving to Junichi and Touki. "Good morning, Junichi! You're looking better today," she said with a cheerful smile.

"I think she needs glasses," Touki said under his breath, Junichi giving him a light elbow to the ribs.

"Thanks. Kageri changed my bandages and now I gotta get something to eat. You wanna come with?" Junichi asked.

"Certainly; The sun is drawing toward its apex. There is no better time for sustenance!" Surumi exclaimed, skipping toward the elevator. Touki looked askew at Junichi, who just shrugged and followed after Surumi. The three stepped into the elevator, Surumi pressing the button for the 20th floor. The ride was short, the door soon opening. They walked over to Izumi's lab, knocking on the door.

After a brief moment, the door opened to an Izumi with a flour stained apron, and hair as messy as it was long. "O-oh! Hey. You guys are here earlier than I thought." Izumi said, wringing her fingers as she spoke. "D-did you guys want breakfast? It's a la carte, so you just need to ask and I'll see if I have it."

"No, it's fine. We can come back later…" Junichi said, feeling slightly guilty, only to hear a small growl from his stomach. "On second thought, I do need food to go with my pain meds."

"Then come on in! Grab a table!" Izumi said, stepping aside to let them in. The students entered and grabbed seats at a table, Izumi hearing the rip of velcro. "Surumi, I told you before! No shoes, no service!" Izumi warned. Surumi grumbled and refastened her sandal as Junichi took a seat.

"S-sorry. Shoes make me uncomfortable." Surumi explained.

"Your feet make me uncomfortable," Izumi said, stepping out of the booth with a handful of small black notebooks, giving one to each student at the table. "So, what are you hungry for?"

"Besides you?" Touki asked with a wink.

"Uhh, eww," Izumi said, trying to laugh off the awkward feeling that gave her. Junichi grabbed Touki's flat cap off his head and whacked him on the head with it.

"Don't get us banned from Izumi's diner, dude," Junichi said. "You've caused enough trouble for us already."

"Alright, alright. I'll just order some pancakes," Touki said, taking his cap back.

"One order of pancakes. Got it! Junichi? Surumi? How about you?" Izumi asked, writing down Touki's order.

Junichi looked down at the notebook, seeing _**Menu**_ written on it in permanent marker. Junichi opened the book, looking at the contents; hot and cold drinks, pancakes, waffles, sausages, hash browns, French toast, fried eggs and rice, cinnamon toast, scrambled eggs, omelets, bagels with cream cheese…

"Oooh! Grilled cheese! I'll have a grilled cheese, please!" Junichi said, holding up a finger to try and get Izumi's attention. Surumi puzzled over the menu, eyes scanning each item multiple times.

"Hrm… perhaps I should sample this grilled cheese. I must admit, I have tasted many human delicacies in my short life on this planet, but the grilled cheese has eluded me." she said.

"You never had grilled cheese before?" Junichi asked, Surumi shaking her head in response. "Well, then it sounds like this is gonna be your initiation! Make that two! And I want mine with a side of fries," he said, holding up two fingers.

"Two grilled cheese sandwiches, one with a side of fries! Got it!" Izumi said, writing down the order and heading for the booth.

"Hrm... can I have a fried egg in my grilled cheese sandwich, Izumi?" Surumi asked.

"Sure thing! One grilled cheese with a fried egg in it!" Izumi called from the booth.

"...Wouldn't that be a melt?" Junichi asked.

"I fail to see the point in calling it something else. It's a grilled cheese all the same, isn't it?" Surumi argued. Junichi's left eye began to twitch.

"Because… because it's not a grilled cheese then. It's a melt." Junichi said, chuckling a bit "Because a grilled a cheese implies the only thing you're grilling is the _cheese_. A melt is when you grill something _with _the cheese so the cheese _melts_ into the other thing." he said, repeatedly chopping his palm with his other hand for emphasis on certain words

"But… if there's cheese in the grilled item wouldn't that make it grilled cheese? No matter what you put in it, if you grill cheese, it's grilled cheese." Surumi countered.

"_No, that's wrong_! It's not a grilled cheese anymore if you put other things in it _besides the cheese_! That makes it a _melt_!" Junichi exclaimed, hands shaking slightly.

"Junichi, it isn't that big a deal if she wants a fried egg in her grilled cheese. You're not the one eating it, you're getting fries." Izumi pointed out.

"Yes! On the _side!_ If I put the fries _in_ the grilled cheese, then it would be a _melt_! A _fries melt! _You can have any bread, but if you have cheese in the middle, it's _grilled cheese_! Nothing else or it's a melt! " Junichi said, voice slowly rising in pitch.

"But if it's a grilled cheese with just cheese in the middle then you wouldn't be able to change it, there'd be no variety." Surumi objected. 

"Like hell, I wouldn't! I could change the cheeses! I could change the bread! I can have cheesy bread, I can mix the cheeses together! Do you want latke grilled cheese? Fuck it, you can do that! Anything is possible with just cheese in the middle, Surumi. Open your eyes!" Junichi shouted, slamming his hands on the table and slowly rising to his feet.

"Junichi! You need to calm down right now! You're getting worked up about food! Who cares!? It's cheese!" Izumi argued.

"It's about _morality_, damn it! We need to draw the _lines_! The _cheesy _lines! I can't have people _blaspheming_ about what is or isn't a grilled cheese! We can't _blur the lines_ of cheese, once we do the glue of society will _dissolve_! If I put two pieces of bread on your head, Izumi, are _YOU _grilled cheese, according to your flimsy logic!? What's a melt!? What's my life!? Is it all just grilled cheese to you!?" Junichi raved, wildly gesturing his arms.

"What was that about me getting us kicked out of Izumi's diner?" Touki asked.

"Junichi's being quite odd today," Surumi observed.

"I'm the only _voice of reason_ in here! I'm sane in an insane world of _lies_. It's a melt, goddamnit!" Junichi shouted. "I'm an EDUCATOR!"

"You're losing your shit, dude," Yuuto said, walking up from the entrance. "What the fuck is he talking about?"

"Grilled cheese," Touki replied.

"I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!" Junichi shouted, hands gripping the table as if he was about to flip the whole thing over.

"He's getting upset because Surumi wants an egg in her grilled cheese," Izumi explained to Yuuto.

"_MELT_!" Junichi yelled.

"...Okay, so he's being stupid. Got it." Yuuto said, giving a sarcastic thumbs up.

"Why must you spite me!?" Junichi asked, incredulity high in his voice.

"If she wants a grilled cheese get her one, who cares?" Yuuto said with a shrug.

"I DO!" Junichi yelled.

"Who the hell orders a melt these days? Like… specifically asking for a melt instead of a grilled cheese?" Yuuto asked as he looked for a seat, preferably away from Junichi.

"You're a goddamn _heretic_!" Junichi shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the Ultimate Drummer.

"Uhh… You might need to take a walk or something." Touki said. 

"You people make me sick!" Junichi said, pulling at his hair. "I want grilled cheese and _NOTHING ELSE_!"

Surumi sighed, standing up from her seat and sinking two fingers into his shoulder. Junichi suddenly began to feel his body feel lighter, his anger fading away. "Now sit down…" Surumi ordered, Junichi slowly sinking back into his chair. "We are going to eat our… breakfast and carry on until the feast."

"...Okay," Junichi said, feeling his face muscles ease into a calm, if slightly loopy, smile. Surumi sighed in relief and took her fingers off of his shoulder.

"Okay, so Junichi might be a psychopath. I guess it's a good thing knowing that, right?" Yuuto said.

"I thought grilled cheese would be a nice little addition to the menu. I didn't think it would cause internal strife…" Izumi said with a sigh. "I'm just going to make that grilled cheese now before Junichi makes things weird again. Did you want anything, Yuuto?"

"You got chicken strips?" Yuuto asked.

"Lemme see… oh! I do! Just one serving for now." Izumi said, ripping open the bag. She quickly went to flip over Touki's pancakes, checking the pans and turning over the grilled cheeses.

"Jeez, she's a one-woman restaurant. Can she really cook four things at once like that?" Touki asked, looking at Junichi who was currently setting his entire face on his table. "Uh… Surumi, is he gonna be alright?"

"He should be fine. My skill with pressure points should be spot on if I understand human anatomy correctly." Surumi said reassuringly.

"Yeah, but he isn't moving," Touki said, poking at Junichi

"You might have to slap him a few times," Surumi said, thumbing a strand of her hair.

"But I thought he was dead! He's probably really injured, isn't he?" Yuuto replied.

"Surumi, I think we should pass on slapping him," Touki suggested.

"How about I wake him…" Yuuto said, taking a deep breath "WITH THE POWER OF HEAVY METAAAALLLL!" Yuuto shouted in a falsetto, posing with the devil horns in both of his hands. He cupped both of his hands over his mouth and shrieked in a high pitch scream in Junichi's ears. "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Dyaahhhh!" Junichi exclaimed, nearly falling out of his chair. "W-what the hell was that!?" 

"Annnnd now I'm deaf," Touki said, trying to quiet the ringing in his ear.

"Yuuto, no shouting in the diner, please." Izumi requested. "This is a place for people to eat and relax," she said as she stepped out of the booth with a tray full of food; two plates of sandwiches, one with a small stack of pancakes, napkins, silverware, syrup in a plastic dispenser and three cups of cold milk.

"Mmm... smells delicious," Junichi said as the adrenaline he felt from being shouted at wore off. He carefully took the sandwich into his hand. "Oooh, it looks so golden…"

"So, are you just gonna eat like none of that just happened?" Touki asked, Junichi giving an awkward chuckle.

"Ehehehe… sorry, I guess I got a little worked up…" Junichi said, rubbing the back of his head.

"A little? "You slammed the table and called Yuuto a heretic!" Izumi said from the booth.

"I know. I know. I'm sorry. I just… I'm very passionate about grilled cheese."

"I can't believe that's a real sentence someone said," Touki said in response

"Well, that and I guess it's because I'm so stressed out about the whole killing game thing. Whenever I start getting stressed out, I come up with something to obsess over about to stop thinking about whatever's in my head. If it's an anime or a video game, I'll spend all night binging that to drown out the static in my head." Junichi explained, taking a bite of his grilled cheese. "Mmmmm!"

"Sounds like the grilled cheese is good," Touki said, drowning his pancakes in syrup. "I imagine you get through a whole season in one night on some of your favorite shows."

"I do, then I forget like half of it from it all blending together and me fighting off exhaustion. And then I'm all like… 'Who are they fighting again? Why is the frog a phone?' and have to go like 5 episodes back." Junichi said, taking another bite. "Aww yeah, nice and melty…"

"Junichi I promise not to kick you out or give you some kind of… grilled cheese intervention if you don't freak out on me or Surumi again." Izumi said, daubing off the fried chicken to remove some of the grease once she finished frying it.

"It's fine. I'm cool now. Things got heated but I'm okay. We're golden. Like the cheese." Junichi said. "How are you likin' that melt, Surumi?"

"Just don't yell at me about it," Surumi said, biting into her sandwich. After a bit of chewing, she turned to Izumi as she set down a plate of chicken strips for Yuuto. "This sandwich is really well made. The fried egg adds a rich flavor and delightful texture to the middle," she said.

"Thanks, Surumi," Izumi said. "Here you go, Yuuto. Want anything to dip them in?" she asked.

"Yeah, gimme some ranch," Yuuto said.

"Alright. One saucer of ranch coming up!" Izumi said, heading back to the kitchen. "Catch!" she called, throwing a small plastic saucer full of ranch. Yuuto caught it, not letting a drop spill from the saucer.

"Hell yeah," Yuuto said, setting down the saucer and dunking a strip. "So, you up to somethin' today, Ichi?"

"I heard something about a mandatory DVD player. So I guess that's something the people running this thing want us to do?" Junichi asked.

"Oh yeah. But hey, we can wait. Mini-Mart's probably crowded, right?" Yuuto said with a shrug.

"Yeah, if everyone's going down to get their DVD players at the same time, then we should probably wait. I saw those videos of crazy women with machetes on black Friday, trying to get a new TV for their snot-nosed kids." Touki said as the lab door opened, Chiwa stepping into the diner.

"Ah, good morning, Chiwa! What can I do for you?" Izumi asked.

"Good morning, Izumi. Do you have any streusel cake?" Chiwa asked.

"Bless you," Junichi said.

"Huh? Oh, no. A streusel cake is an apple crumble." Chiwa corrected.

"Why didn't you say apple crumble then?" Junichi pointed out, Izumi suddenly slamming her hands on the bar.

"We're not doing this again!" Izumi shouted. "This is my diner, and I will name things as I please!"

"Well, if it's your diner, what are you gonna call it?" Junichi teasingly asked.

"I'm calling it 'Shut up, Junichi!' Now get out of my diner!" Izumi barked out, pointing toward the door.

"Dude, you are just striking out with the ladies," Touki said with a chuckle.

"Oh, shut up, Touki! Like you're doing any better?" Junichi shot back.

"Before the 12-year-old girl gets streusel and you get offended, I actually wanted your help on a project, Junichi," Yuuto said.

"Why me?" Junichi asked, finishing off the last of his sandwich.

"Dunno, you seem cool," Yuuto said with a shrug. "I just could use some help making something in my room."

"I'm not really suited for manual labor, y'know," Junichi said, waving his sling covered arm.

"Can you write with your right hand?" Yuuto asked, Junichi tentatively nodding. "Then you can help me, dude."

"Alright, if you say so," Junichi said. "You wanna come with, Touki?"

"Nah, I still gota pancakes to eat," Touki said, taking another bite of pancake. "It's pancake town and I'm culling the pancake population."

"That's a… concerning metaphor," Chiwa commented as she went to sit at the table beside Touki.

"Can I get the rest of my chicken strips to go?" Yuuto asked.

"Sure!" Izumi called, running out of the kitchen to grab the half-finished strips before running back into the booth. She came back with the strips in a styrofoam box, along with a small cup for the ranch dressing, shutting the box and sliding it over to Yuuto's hands. Junichi left with Yuuto out of the room as they went to Yuuto's bedroom.


	10. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 5

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere in the World (Daily Life 5)

"Sora should be back from the minimall soon," Yuuto said as he swiped his handbook against his door to unlock it. His bedroom was identical to Junichi's room, but the major difference was it had a huge plastic drum in the middle of the room, along with metal pipes of various lengths and angles, and a toolkit. On his bed was a trash can lid.

"You have Sora to help you? How did you talk him into it?" Junichi asked as he went into Yuuto's bedroom.

"This right here," Yuuto said, lifting up his styrofoam box of food to the Ultimate Lucky Student. "I got both of us breakfast, it's why I didn't stay there to eat all of it." He explained. "I normally eat all of it, but Sora could use some fried chicken too."

"You have to bring the food to him?" Junichi asked, putting his hand in his pocket as Yuuto sat the food on his bed and took two pieces of metal sitting on the floor, taking a bolt and a washer to start sticking them together. "Why can't he get food himself?"

"Because I can't go in that room." came a voice from the doorway. Junichi turned to see Sora there, strangely holding several buckets stacked inside each other, along with a few different sized pot lids in under his other arm. "Is this enough buckets for you, Yuuto?"

"Yeah, that should be good," Yuuto said.

"You sure a drum set needs like 4-5 buckets and a plastic bin, and a trash can lid… and three pan lids and a trash can lid?" Sora asked, still unsure about this.

"Yeah, man. It's complicated but everything has different acoustics! We need to see which of those buckets match what I'd want in a drumkit. Now go get your chicken."

"Hey, I feel like we're moving away from my question; why can't Sora go into Izumi's diner?" Junichi asked as Sora grabbed the styrofoam box.

"Because Izumi's a weirdo, dude," Yuuto said.

"I wouldn't say that. We don't know that much about her." Junichi replied in defense of her.

"I know enough…" Sora said darkly. "She's a fangirl, and I hate it, to put it bluntly."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Junichi said. "You're kind of a celebrity, I kind of would expect people to be a fan of you."

"Do you know how it feels if someone came up to you and acted like they knew everything about you?" Sora asked. "Telling you all these things about you that you forgot, but you can tell they thought about for hours? Talking to you about themselves like you've known them for years?"

"Uh… no, I haven't." Junichi said, scratching the back of his head.

"She told me she had a body pillow of me. I didn't even know my record label SOLD body pillows of me." Sora said, shuddering, dipping a chicken strip into the ranch cup. He took a bite, grumbling as he chewed. "Damn it, why does she have to be a good cook? It isn't fair. Why can't weirdos just be worthless so I can ignore them?"

"I feel like you're exaggerating how bad Izumi is. She seems pretty normal, dude." Junichi said.

"Just you wait, Junichi. She's gonna be like all the rest of them. One day in this stupid hotel, she's gonna spot me and start clinging to my leg, begging to be my eternal servant or something. She's just like all the other lunatics I had to deal with." Sora said with a grim expression. "Anyway, I don't really wanna talk too much about myself. We gotta make a drumkit, right Yuuto?"

"That's the spirit!" Yuuto exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Let's get to it!"

"Uh… I don't know how to make a drum kit." Junichi admitted. "And my arm's in a sling."

"That's fine. I brought Sora in to do the legwork. You've got the easy job for later." Yuuto explained as he grabbed one of the buckets.

"How did you get all these buckets and lids anyway?" Junichi asked. "How many Monocoins did you have?"

"When you work out of a garage, you learn how to find cheaper alternatives. The big drum set in the Mini-Mall is, like, 100 coins or something. So, I had Sora buy me a few buckets. And I yanked the Mini-Mall's trash can and dumped the trash bag in the incinerator." Yuuto said. "But that's the plastic trash can, and I yoinked metal trash can lids from one of the janitor closets on each floor for some of the cymbals."

"A-ha! I knew someone was pilfering from the Mini-Mall! Caught you red-handed, Mr. Hagiwara!" Monokuma exclaimed as he appeared in one of the buckets, startling Sora and causing him to drop the bucket on the floor, making Monokuma sit on the floor with the bucket on his head. "And now your accomplice has dropped me!"

"It's a killing game, not a shoplifting game! What makes you think we need to pay for everything we take from the store?" Sora said in response. "You gonna punish us for shoplifting now? I didn't see it on the regulations."

"Yeah, it was just the trash can. You weren't selling it, so it wasn't shoplifting." Yuuto said, rationalizing his rampant trash can theft.

"It was because I SUPPLIED you guys with trashcans. Why would I think any of you would want to buy them?" Monokuma asked, tossing the bucket off his head. "Why couldn't you use your own trashcan, eh?"

"Because I wouldn't have a trash can, then." Yuuto pointed out.

"Hnnnnnnnng…" Monokuma began to shake, smacking himself in the head. "FINE! New regulation! There will be no shoplifting in this hotel!" Monokuma announced.

"It wasn't shoplifting! I took a trash can and some lids!" Yuuto argued.

"Yeah, well… I don't want none of you criminals thinking you can get away with stealing from the Mini Mall while you're here!" Monokuma exclaimed, kicking over one of the buckets. "Now pick up that stolen bucket!"

"You're the one who kicked it over," Sora noted.

"DON'T YOU THINK I ALREADY KNOW THAT!?" Monokuma shouted, walking over and kicking every other bucket in the room. Then pulling a can of paint from Yuuto's closet, and kicking that over as well. "Pick up ALL THESE BUCKETS!" he shouted, storming off out Yuuto's front door.

"He's kind of a petty asshole for a mastermind running a whole hotel centered around murdering people," Sora commented, walking over and setting all the buckets back upside down. Yuuto then took a set of drumsticks and drummed across the bottom of each bucket in a row.

"What was that for?" Junichi asked, wondering why Yuuto just played across every bucket and can.

"Pitch. I need to figure out which one of these was a snare." Yuuto explained, doing another run of drumming.

"Why not use a pot or a pan instead of a bucket?" Junichi asked.

"Who do you think I am, Lars?" Yuuto said.

"...Lars?" Junichi asked.

"Lars Ulrich from Metallica_,_" Sora explained.

"Oh yeah. Sorry, just never really got into metal." Junichi said.

"Yeah, you're too busy skanking, eh ska boy?" Yuuto said with a chuckle.

"Wait, how did you know I like ska?" Junichi asked.

"It's in your profile, dude," Yuuto said, pulling out his student handbook. He pulled up Junichi's profile, showing it to him.

_Junichi Ando  
Ultimate Lucky Student_

_Age: 16  
Height: 5'3, Weight: 108 lbs_

_Blood Type: O, Chest: 26''  
Date of Birth: 12/25  
Likes: Ska, Fighting Games, Cooking_

_Dislikes: Melts apparently, formal wear, being told things he already knows_

"Huh… so it is… wait, does that say melts? I don't hate melts, I hate people confusing grilled cheeses and melts." Junichi said.

"Hey dude, it's not my fault you don't have a personality!" Monokuma said while hopping on Yuuto's bed. This startled Junichi, who didn't even see him show up.

"Where did you come from?!" Junichi exclaimed.

"When I show up, I show up." Monokuma declared.

"Will you get out of here?" Sora asked.

"I made an announcement to you folks and you blew it off! You guys are the worst students ever!" Monokuma shouted. "You're stealing buckets when I've got perfectly good free DVD players for you! C'mon, they are ACTUALLY FREE and nobody's taking the offer!" Monokuma shouted.

"Why are you shouting about giving us free DVD players? If we don't need them, why would we get them? It's not like you're giving us DVDs too" Junichi said in response as Yuuto continued his work.

"Oh? Oh?! You think these things don't come with a complimentary DVD? The DVD is free and mandatory! I'm getting sick of everyone sitting around doing nothing. We're going into PLOT MODE! Get your DVDs from the Minimart or I'll set your beds on fire. And how can you sleep while your beds are burning?!"

"Hey, I got that re-" Sora started, before Monokuma kicked him in the shin with his stuffed paw.

"Do you think I care that you got my reference!?" Monokuma exclaimed as Sora grabbed his shin in pain. "Get your stupid DVD! I burned over all my favorite cop shows doing this!"

"I'll get it after I'm done with my drum set, alright?" Yuuto said, "Now get out of here, you're wrecking the mood."

"You have it halfway done already, holy shit," Sora said, noticing that Yuuto had already set up the frame, two of the cymbals, and the snare.

"Man, I spend months making this shit, I burned it into my head how to make it, it's why I was so specific on what parts I would need!" Yuuto said, playing a drum roll on the snare, and hitting a crash cymbal, literally a trashcan lid. "I don't have a place to sit beside my bed, though." He said, punctuating it with another snare hit. "I need… my throne of darkness!"

"...Throne of… what?" Junichi asked.

"A drum throne, dude. Did you know they were called drum thrones? It's pretty much a spinny chair I can sit on and rotate as much as I want without hitting any other parts of the drum." Yuuto said, looking around the room. He walked over, picking up his trash bin and dumping out the contents onto Monokuma. "Eh, it's round enough to be a chair!"

"Hey! Don't dump your trash on me!" Monokuma shouted, dusting himself off.

"Why not? There's no rules that say we can't, just that we can't attack you. Are you going to call that paper I dumped on your head assault?" Yuuto said with a chuckle. "If I put Touki in a trash bin and rolled him down the stairs would that be a murder attempt?"

"I think it'd be assault if there's no intent to murder…" Sora said, holding his chin in his hand. "Why put Touki in the trash can?"

"He's got a build fit for putting in a trash can, if I put Junichi in it he's already injured and might get killed," Yuuto explained as he flipped over the bin. He carefully lowered himself into the bin, mindful of how much weight he put down on the bin. "Hrm… might hurt my ass after a while, but my bony ass fits on it just fine!"

"I guess being rail thin has some benefits, Yuuto," Sora said with a shrug.

"It's weird because I eat a lot, it's just I end up shitting a lot too and none of it stays as body mass," Yuuto said, looking away for a bit as he spun two drumsticks between his fingers.

"Do you always tell your friends how much you shit? That's gross, dude." Sora asked.

"Pah! Another new regulation! No dumping trash on me! Don't just… live in your own filth like some kind of broom-shaped pig. If something on the floor ain't used for a murder you better clean your damn rooms!" Monokuma raved, grumbling as he stormed out.

"Alright, he's out. Now, just need Junichi to paint the numbers on here," Yuuto said, grabbing the paint can as Sora jumped onto the bed and opened up the box of chicken strips in his hand.

"All while I eat chicken," Sora said, lightly dipping a strip in the ranch cup. Junichi walked over to Yuuto as Yuuto was taking a can opener to the can.

"So, what did you need the paint for?" Junichi asked.

"I need to paint numbers on my drum set so I can write music. I didn't do any formal music training, so I write music by memorizing the numbers on my drum kits," Yuuto explained. "I just hit the beat, memorize the numbers and then write it all out."

"And that works?" Sora asked as Yuuto flipped over the stolen trash pin, pulling out a paintbrush.

"I mean, I'm the Ultimate Drummer, so if I'd say it's been working so far," Yuuto said, tossing the paintbrush to Junichi. "Here, I'll tell you which numbers to paint where. I gotta do some pitch work on this kick drum." 

"Alright…" Junichi said, Yuuto tapping on the small bucket once. Junichi shrugged and painted a black 1 onto the bucket. Yuuto followed with two taps of his drumstick against the medium bucket, Junichi painting a two onto the bucket. This pattern continued for 4-6, Yuuto testing the trash bin with a towel stuffed into it.

"There we go… that's the pitch!" Yuuto said, hitting each of the makeshift "drums" once "I mean, usually 1's the kick, but I can jam to this." Yuuto said as he began to practice. Junichi wanted to put a 7 on the bin, but Yuuto just kept drumming.

"YYYYYEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!" Yuuto screeched loudly, Sora giving a few weak nods of his head.

"Any reason why he's acting like this!?" Junichi asked loudly, trying to be heard over the banging.

"I think he's been cooped up in this room for too long. It's like withdrawals, I guess!" Sora replied. 

"Well, I need to get that DVD player before Monokuma complains to me again," Junichi said, heading out of the room. "You two have fun… jamming out, I guess!" he shouted, Sora giving a thumbs up.

On his way to the mini-mall, he heard a rattling coming from a nearby door in the hallway to the elevator. Junichi felt his body stiffen up as the door rattled again. Junichi slowly approached the door, hesitant to open it. Once he opened, he saw Monokuma standing in a broom closet, head sticking out of the mouth of a foam dinosaur head.

"What are you…?" Junichi asked, staring in befuddlement.

"Close this door and pretend you never saw me," Monokuma warned. Junichi looked like he was about to say something, mouth agape and feeling like he was struggling to make a noise to come out of his mouth. "You heard me."

Junichi then slowly closed the door before hurrying off for the mini-mall, mostly just confused more than anything, hitting the elevator and going down to the bottommost available floor, the surprisingly massive minimall with the exact same music playing over the speaker as the day before. "Attention shoppers, we have a sale on can openers! If you need to open a can… uhh... I guess you -can- help yourself to uh… some can openers." Monokuma joked, adding a flat laugh to it. "See what I did there? Can joke, aww yeah." Monokuma said over the loudspeakers. "I'm just firin' out those good jokes today, I just hope people are actually listening to these." Monokuma continued, seemingly talking to himself.

Junichi ignored Monokuma's inane rambling as he looked for the DVD players. He figured the electronics aisle was the best place to find them. He checked over the signs, soon finding the electronics aisle and making his way down. He saw Koba looking over a cardboard box. "Thinking about buying that box?" Junichi asked jokingly.

"Hm? Ah, hi Junichi," Koba said. "I was just reading the details on these DVD players. Sorry I haven't seen you since your recovery. I was shocked to hear you were back up within hours of being impaled."

"Yeah, I uh…" Junichi started, not wanting to hear the same joke everybody made the day before. "I lived."

"It must have avoided the subclavian artery and weaved between your shoulder and your ribs. Most of your damage would just be torn muscles, huh?" Koba asked.

"Er… yeah, that's what Kageri said anyway," Junichi said.

;

"Certainly proves you're worthy of your title of Ultimate Lucky-" Koba began before being interrupted by a prolonged groan. "W-what did I say?"

"Uggggggggggggggh." Junichi continued to groan. "This joke will never die, will it?! Can you all think of a joke besides Ultimate Lucky Student one?"

"...Right, I'll keep that in mind," Koba said. "Anyway, I was hoping to see you since this Killing Game started. You surprised me by jumping in to help Asana."

"Surprised at how stupid that was?" Junichi asked.

"I wouldn't say that. It was reckless, and I feel like you put yourself in unnecessary danger, but it's just the fact you actually threw yourself into danger to protect someone. It's not like you knew you'd be impaled for doing it," Koba said. "That's very admirable of you. I'll admit, I didn't think much of you when we first talked. Just that you were someone painfully average."

"Gee, thanks…" Junichi deadpanned.

"You have heart, Junichi, and I think that's important for someone to become a hero. You clearly care about other people you just meet, and I think you'll learn new things quickly. So, I'd like to have you as my assistant."

"Assistant?" Junichi asked. "You mean like how Izumi is with Saya?"

"Well, not exactly like that… Izumi is more Saya's lackey." Koba said. "I'm more wanting someone to bounce my observations off of and give their own insights. Someone who can bring a different perspective while I try to solve this whole mystery. In short, I want you to be my Watson," he suggested.

"Like… the Sherlock Holmes Watson? Doesn't he just follow Sherlock around the whole book?" Junichi asked.

"He does more than that. He contributes to the investigations just as much. Everyone assumes Watson is just some chubby doofus that follows Holmes around, but he's a skilled doctor and his medical knowledge brings a fresh perspective to each of Holmes' investigations." Koba argued.

"Yeah, but I'm not a doctor. Or a war veteran, or like... any of the things Watson was." Junichi pointed out. "Wouldn't someone like Touki or Saya be a better Watson for you?"

"No, you're not. But you have a different way of looking at things and you're not someone with a specific mindset to things. Touki would probably see things the way a journalist does. Saya, smart as she is, values my title as Ultimate Detective too much and accepts my interpretation with little to offer herself. I don't need someone to agree with me and pretend everything I say is correct, and others would be uncooperative or unhelpful. I don't need a kissass if you pardon my language," Koba explained. "And I don't need someone like Rokuro, who seems to be more focused on his muscles than his brain. Daichi is too abrasive to be of any help, even with his criminal perspective, Surumi is… what's the word?" he asked, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Off in space? ...Oh! Speaking of, I should probably buy something for Surumi. I, uh… I think she's still mad about breakfast."

"Oh right, Izumi told me you had a moment where you were screaming about grilled cheese sandwiches?" Koba inquired.

"Not a good look for me, yeah," Junichi said with a sigh. "Anyway, maybe after I get my DVD player and Monokuma's DVD, I'll find something Surumi might like."

"Sure," Koba said, leading Junichi to a small pile of DVD players, still in their packaging, with a stack of blank white DVD cases next to it. "You can take any player you want, but Monokuma has been very persistent in making sure everyone gets the DVD marked for them. Daichi tried to sneak away with Airi's DVD, but he was suddenly dropped by one of the Monoservants." Koba explained.

"Hojo?" Junichi asked.

"No, it was a servant with dark blue hair who immediately tackled Daichi to the floor and put him into an armbar until he gave up the disc," Koba said. "I would have helped but I just sort of watched it happen while feeling like I wasn't really there. It's not often you see a man in full servant's garb nearly break someone's arm over a DVD."

"Yeah, this whole place has been a bit weird," Junichi said, looking through the stack of DVDs to find his name scrawled onto the cover of one case in permanent marker. "Alright, here's mine. You got yours?"

"Mhm. Did Monokuma tell you anything about the purpose of these DVDs? I find it strange he was so… insistent on making us get these. I'm concerned it might have to do with the lack of hostility between most of us, barring Daichi." Koba asked.

"I mean, you've never gotten on Saya's bad side, have you?" Junichi pointed out.

"I think the yardstick is just to give people welts, not horribly murder them for misbehaving." Koba countered.

"It still hurts. Plus, she's completely iced Touki out." Junichi argued. "She's roped in Izumi to be an emissary so she doesn't need to speak to him," Junichi said, before crossing his arms. "And to answer your question, Monokuma just told me I sucked and to get a DVD player."

"I see… So… all he did was to insult you and tell you to watch this disc?" Koba inquired.

"Makes me think it's haunted or something, I don't even believe in the supernatural but well... I'm talking to a robot bear, most of the people I've met seem like they don't even exist in a realistic setting, or are some stereotype, and I got impaled yesterday and today I'm mostly fine barring a sling and some bandages." Junichi said, causing Koba to blink a few times before replying. "Everything's too absurd to distinguish anything from reality."

"...I mean I guess it can be a little weird, but now I just feel like you're having an existential crisis instead of talking about watching a DVD someone made for you." Koba observed.

"That's the nihilism I'm looking for, Good job, Junichi!" A voice called from behind the two of them. "I do love me some good hyper-normalization. Really makes ya wonder if everything is just some weird psychotic breakdown and nobody you speak to exists. Or if it's real, you're being lied to in some kind of massive government conspiracy!" Monokuma said with a grin. "Oh, oh! Another one. Maybe you're not real, Junichi! You're a Freudian figment of someone's daddy issues while they're in a coma!" Monokuma said, sitting Indian style on a small table that was for sale.

"You're not helping," Koba replied bluntly.

"I never help~ Puhuhu~" Monokuma said with his signature laugh. "All of this can be true! Everyone's a coma! I'm a metaphor! You're a lizard! This is purgatory!" Monokuma announced, bouncing his chubby bear body on the table in glee.

"...What are the side effects of these pain pills?" Junichi asked, pulling the bottle out to check.

"Let's just ignore his rambling for now and get to the point. Monokuma, what are these DVDs?" Koba asked.

"Hah! What do you think this is, stilted exposition?! Nay, I say, Nay!" Monokuma shouted. "These are DVD's y'all should probably watch by yourselves. Each one has something important you should know about your stay here." he explained.

"Is that all you're gonna tell us?" Junichi asked.

"Yup!" Monokuma said."Turn off the lights, grab some popcorn, and don't take off your pants while you watch these."

"Do you have to set up the DVD players anywhere? Do they come with a VGA cable?" Koba asked, which made Junichi stare at him.

"No, we do not have that form of outdated cables, you grandpa. They're portable players, they have a little screen that pops up to show you what's on it!" Monokuma exclaimed, holding up one of the DVD players, still in its box. "Read the description on the box, you fool! Does anyone read anymore? ANY of you weirdo teenagers!?"

"Ah… right. Well, that will be all, I guess." Koba said, hoping to dismiss Monokuma. "I read plenty, now… can you leave us alone?" he asked. Monokuma then hopped off the table and walked down the aisle, grumbling.

"I feel like… he wants us to see these alone to make us not trust each other. I might be wrong and he might want us to watch his home movies or something… but I have a feeling in my gut he wants us to feel insecure." Junichi said.

"...And you said you didn't make a good Watson," Koba said with a wry smile.

"That was just a gut feeling, dude. It doesn't mean anything if I'm wrong…" Junichi countered.

"Well, only one way to find out," Koba said.

"Right, but lemme grab that gift for Surumi before we do," Junichi said, thinking on what to get her as the two traveled the mini-mart. As they searched, none of the aisles they traversed held anything that would befit the Ultimate Astronomer. It was all either basic supplies or stuff neither was sure she would like. There was one item that would be perfect for Surumi, even being listed as such on a plaque adorning the platform it rested on. It was a silver UFO attached to a beam underneath it. It was in its demonstration, where the UFO was raising and spinning slowly up and down, a second pivot arm allowing it to move around and tilt. It even had a control stick, that may or may not allow you to control it.

The green and yellow lights flashed in various patterns around the UFO, and it looked big enough for him to ride. The cost of buying the thing was an absurd 500 Monocoins, but it was 1 to ride it.

"This is the best you can for an astronomer?" Koba asked, not noticing Junichi drop a coin into the slot. "Junichi, what are you doing?"

"I'm nearly an adult, I'm way outside of the age range for these rides, I'm in a killing game, I'm seriously injured on my first day, an alien girl hates me, I'm having an existential crisis, and I have to watch a DVD that will probably ruin my life somehow," Junichi said, climbing into the seat of the UFO. "But you know what? Fuck it, I'M RIDING THE UFO KIDDIE RIDE! Because it's MY choice!" Junichi shouted at Koba.

"Junichi, this is both dangerous and incredibly childish," Koba said as the ride came to life.

"I don't care anymore!" Junichi shouted, the machine slowly lifting higher into the air as it powered on "I'm dumb and childish! Let me ride my fake-ass UFO in absolute silence for five minutes!" He said, the machine moving around painfully slow and making fake laser sounds.

"Ooooookay," Koba said, blinking a few times from just not really being sure how to handle this situation in a mature and sensible manner. "You know you can't afford this, right?"

"I'm gonna ride this until I feel better and you can't stop this from happening!" Junichi shouted, pointing a finger at Koba as generic 50's sci-fi music started to play from the machine.

After a few minutes of Junichi slowly going in a slow circle, the music slowed to a stop, the lights shut off and the UFO shuddered to a halt.

"...Are you done?" Koba asked, just kind of trying to process how Junichi's stress relief is supposed to work.

"I feel better, we can now continue with the task at hand," Junichi said, climbing out of the UFO ride.

"Those five minutes I'll be regretting losing for the rest of my life, but I'm glad we can move on," Koba said. "I don't think we'll have enough combined to purchase that ride and I doubt if Surumi is still angry with you that she'll you join for this…" Koba said, putting a hand to his chin.

"I gotta do something, man. I don't have enough for this but I want to show her I care. And not like a… 'I'm sorry, here's a cheap card covered in too much glitter' kind of way. I want to show her I pay attention to what she likes and not get her something stupid." Junichi said sincerely while standing in front of a children's UFO ride.

"Uhh… I'm just not going to comment on our surroundings right now." Koba said, leaning over Junichi's shoulder to gaze at what was behind him. "Would it be alright if we viewed these DVDs together after you get something for Surumi? I'll set it up in my bedroom while you figure out what to get her."

"Yeah, sure," Junichi said, doing another walk around the mini-mall, still finding nothing, until a flashing light, and a more fake than usual animatronic bear caught his peripheral.

"Mono-Mono… Is this a capsule machine?" Junichi asked aloud, leaning in to check, he got close enough to see the interface of the machine, it was one of those gachapon machines, but it had poorly rendered 3D models of various Monokumas, all beckoning about 'great prizes' and 'random chance'

"..Might as well," Junichi said as he fished a MonoCoin out of his pocket. He dropped the coin into the machine and turned the knob. The machine said on the side that the more coins you put in, the higher the chance at a rare prize. "This better not get me something like temporary tattoos or something for only putting one in…"

The machine blinked and shook slightly before dropping a small plastic capsule onto the floor. Junichi picked it up and opened it, finding a blue carabiner. "The hell is this? A keychain hook thingy? Damn it, what do they call that? I've seen it before…" he said, inspecting it and scratching his chin. "So much for getting something she wants… 'Here, Surumi. Have a stupid keychain thing I don't know the name of! Clearly, you'll use it for… the keychain you clearly have.' Ugh…"

He turned to walk away from the MonoMono Machine when a digitized voice called "LUCKY!" Junichi turning his head to see another capsule spit out. Junichi scrambled to pick it up off the floor, opening up the capsule with some difficulty thanks to having only one hand. Once it popped open, Junichi saw a roll of stickers. He unfurled some of the stickers, seeing they were shaped like stars and moons. "Yes! Perfect!" Junichi exclaimed, heading off with stickers in hand, tossing aside the carabiner.

Junichi checked his student handbook as he headed for the elevator, looking for Surumi on the map. He soon found her on the 20th floor as he stepped through the elevator doors. The elevator trip was only three floors, but it felt longer as the guilt he was feeling began to pull at him. He could ignore it before when he was distracted by working on the drumkit with Yuuto, talking with Koba and Monokuma's antics. But now, holding the star stickers in his good hand, the guilt began latching onto his heart and adding more weight. The door finally opened, Junichi heading down the hall to find Surumi's lab.

Junichi took a deep breath, trying to think out what exactly to say as he knocked on the door. "Surumi? You in there? It's Junichi." he began, feeling the heel of his right foot drift away from the door. He couldn't run thanks to the wound in his chest, but the elevator wasn't that far from the lab, so he could still make a break for it in the silence that followed. He'd see her later if she wasn't in the mood to talk to him. It'd be hard to avoid each other when there were five floors and one of them was pretty much blocked off.

_I can just come back later._ He thought, trying to rehearse everything out in his head before the door opened. Surumi stood in the door frame, her usual whimsical smile spread across her face.

"Hello, Junichi," she said, her voice disarmingly serene. It seemed that bowing out and leaving her alone was off the table, so Junichi had to scramble for how to start this apology off. Thankfully, Surumi gave him a hook by asking "What brings you here?"

"Ah… er… well, I wanted to apologize for what happened at breakfast. I lost my head there and I made a big idiot out of myself," Junichi began, Surumi letting out a small sigh.

"Yes, but I will admit my attitude in return was petty. It really was stupid of us to get so worked up over sandwiches." Surumi said, shaking her head.

"Hey now, I'm the one who got worked up. I was the one who yelled, you just nerve pinched me," Junichi said.

"And I refused to speak to you after that. It really wasn't fair to you as you were guilty about your," Surumi said, tilting her head back slightly in thought. "What did Izumi call it again? A meltdown?" she asked, Junichi suddenly snickering a bit.

"Pfft! Okay, that was pretty good…" Junichi said. He wondered just how much of that was actually the joke being funny and how much was just him trying to get his mind off his guilt still. Surumi looked at him with a puzzled expression before bursting into laughter.

"Oooooh, I get it! A melt-down! Hahahaha~" Surumi said as she laughed her rhythmic laugh, though this time it sounded a lot more natural and melodic than when Junichi first heard it. And he oddly liked the sound of it. _Well, she's happy now, so that's gotta count for something, right?_ Junichi thought as he joined her in laughing at Izumi's joke.

The two shared a good laugh at the pun before Junichi remembered the stickers in his hand. "Anyway, I wanted to make it up to you and since I couldn't get you that UFO ride in the mini-mall, I got these for you," he said, handing the roll of stickers to her. Surumi unrolled the stickers, her tawny eyes lighting up in delight.

"Ahhh~ They're wonderful, Junichi! Are they glow in the dark?" Surumi asked as stretched the roll to the width of her arms.

"Whoa, I didn't even think of that when I got them," Junichi said. "I was just thinking you could decorate your room with them, but hey if they glow in the dark too, that'd be awesome."

Surumi re-rolled the star stickers with a giddy smile. "I think I have an even better use for them. I'm gonna use them to decorate my lab! Thank you so much, Junichi!" Surumi exclaimed, suddenly wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Ack! Ow! Surumi! Watch the arm!" Junichi exclaimed, feeling relief at how well the stickers worked, flustered over Surumi hugging him out of nowhere and sharp pain at her squeezing her body against his injured shoulder. After the most painful hug that Junichi ever felt in his life, Surumi pulled back.

"Ah! Sorry, Junichi, I got caught up in the moment there…" Surumi said, hands resting on his shoulder blades. Junichi just sighed and shrugged it off.

"It's alright… look, I gotta go meet with Koba, but I can't wait to see your lab once you're done decorating," Junichi said as Surumi let go of him, giving her three-fingered salute.

"Have a good evening, Junichi!" she said, Junichi trying to match her salute, hoping he doesn't accidentally offend her and get booted from Intergalactic Federation. She then skipped back into her lab, shutting the door.

Junichi, heart free from the guilt weighing him down, headed back to the elevator.


	11. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 6

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 7)

"Puhuhuhu~ This video is for Saya Kiruma, the Ultimate Class President!" Monokuma announced on the screen of the DVD player's flip out monitor. "I guess you could say, I have some… tragic news for you, so I highly suggest you watch this alone so you don't have any eavesdroppers," he stated. Saya, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed of her room, with the DVD player in her lap, was entirely alone.

She had been alone since she was threatened by Katsuya the night before, it was almost nighttime, and she still has barely left her room, and hasn't even eaten since. Her fingers wouldn't stop reaching up to rub the bandage covered cut on her cheek, but the video she was watching from Monokuma had her distracted.

"Norimoto Kiruma should ring a bell to you, Saya. Isn't that your father? If I remember correctly, you and your brother Shiro both dislike him for being a 'failure' compared to the Prime Minister of Japan, and I believe to be your uncle, Ryushi Izumura. Different last name? Guess he's an uncle on your mother's side." Monokuma said, reading a piece of paper in his paw.

"I know a lot about you and your brother… Your father would beat your mother after his campaign to join the Japanese Diet failed when he got caught sneaking into a women's public bathing house to attempt to court an underaged fan of his. This caused your mom to fall into alcoholism and depression, and she died after her car went careening off a pass in Gunma prefecture." Monokuma continued to read, showing her mother on the nightly news the day they reported her death. Saya swallowed some spit, him knowing that was making her uncomfortable. All of this had never left the Kiruma household, so one could or should know this. She gripped tightly on her inhaler but her heart rate was steady.

"So what would a father do if the apple of his eye, at least when it comes to abuse, is dead? Beat the eldest son, of course!" Monokuma said, happily. "No wonder why he became such a mess in his adulthood… Anyways, your father was clearly a troubled man after your mother passed… but did you know how troubled he would become once he heard that both his daughter and his son vanished one day?" Monokuma said, as the video cut to news footage, showing her father, a white-haired man wearing glasses in his middle age walking out of their home wearing handcuffs.

"In an update to our earlier breaking news, we would like to report that the main suspect for the murder of Japanese Prime Minister Ryushi Izumura is now in police custody. The fallen politician, Norimoto Kiruma has been arrested for bludgeoning his brother in law to death with a marble statue of a bear. We're not entirely sure why he could do such an act, especially after both of his kids were reported missing and Ryushi promised to investigate the disappearance, but I feel like the Japanese people will feel safer at night knowing that such unstable men as him are behind bars." A sharply dressed female newscaster announced as the video played in the upper right corner of her father's arrest.

"No… he wouldn't…" Saya said in barely a whisper. Her dad was not a good man, not good at all. He would hurt her older brother and project all the things he wasn't into these absurd expectations for him… Punishing him for any minor failure in his progress to be the politician his father wasn't. Compounded when he went to Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Politician. Shiro broke and burned every bridge he had because of it.

But to become a murderer is a whole step beyond being kind of a terrible dad. Especially murdering his brother-in-law and a highly respected figure like the Prime Minister "So… I bet you want to know what happened! Remember, capital punishment is totally legal in Japan, and after his trial in about 21 days… I assume we'll be seeing him hanging from a noose." Monokuma spoke as her father sat behind bars.

**KILL TO ESCAPE, SAYA  
**  
Saya pulled her inhaler up as her lungs began to tighten. She took in a deep breath of medicine the tight feeling on her lungs fading as she firmly shut the DVD player, and threw it against a wall, breaking it. Her father was in jail, she and her brother had been kidnapped and her uncle was dead. Everything around her was falling apart around her. She felt her eyes begin to sting slightly when there was a sudden knock at her door.

"...Saya? Are you in there?" came Izumi's voice from behind her bedroom door. "I haven't seen you all day, are you alright in there?"

"Ah… Igara… Izu…" Saya began, trying to choose between the Ultimate Waitress' first and last names. "Hold on," Saya said, barely audible as she took a deep breath to compose herself. She grabbed her heels off the floor, putting them on as she looked herself over in the mirror, hiding away her inhaler in the drawer. She quickly wiped the corner of her eyes, though her sclera had still reddened slightly. Another series of knocks followed. "I'm coming!" Saya yelled abruptly, taking another deep breath before heading to the door.

Saya opened the door to see Izumi standing in front of her, carrying a plastic tray with a lid coated in steam, condensing on the lid. "What brings you here, Igarashi?"

"W-well, you never came around for breakfast or lunch, I got worried that you haven't eaten at all today!" Izumi said. "So I made you an omelet!" she offered, holding up the tray closer to Saya.

"Ah… thank you." Saya said, taking the tray and walking over to her bed, taking a seat. She gently popped the top of the lid off, nostrils hit with the smell coming out with the steam. It was an inviting scent, so she looked down, seeing a rather well-made omelet with green peppers, cheese, chives and coated in black pepper. Next to it was a pair of chopsticks, with small packets of ketchup, mustard, and chopped onions.

"Are… Are you sure that you're okay?" Izumi asked softly, slowly walking over to Saya.

"Yes… I… I've been…" Saya said, trying to think of a convincing lie, but looking Izumi in the eyes made it difficult. Izumi looked at her with such innocent eyes, almost like a puppy in human form. Saya looked down at the omelet, hoping that avoiding her would make Izumi leave.

"If you're not feeling well, you can talk to me. I won't tell anyone. I… I understand what it feels like when you tell someone how you feel privately like it's just supposed to be between two friends… and other people catch wind of it and start… making assumptions about you." Izumi said, not breaking her gaze from Saya's

"Igarashi, you ca-" Saya said before Izumi cut her off.

"Saya; It's okay. I'm here for you." Izumi said with a small bow.

"...I…" Saya began, looking up at Izumi. She finally took a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes. "C-close the door behind you."

"Done and done," Izumi said, walking over to the door and shutting.

"How did you really know something was wrong?" Saya asked as Izumi walked over to take a seat next to Saya.

"You expect for me to watch you completely change your behavior around me and -not- think something happened? I've only known you for so long, but I can tell these things. You're not as good at hiding how you feel than you think you are, at least to someone whose… used to sadness as I am." Izumi said, Saya blinking in surprise.

"I watched my 'motive' video, that's all," Saya admitted.

"You're wrong. You were like this before the existence of the DVDs… S-something has you scared right now, I want you to stop lying to me, and tell me what it is." Izumi said, her face hardening slightly.

"Ah! Fine… while I was getting my glasses replaced, I ran into Suba…" Saya began.

"Suba…? Y-you mean the hunter with the bear hood, right? That scary guy?" Izumi asked.

"Yes. I tried to confront him on his solitary nature. He threw a knife at me to cut my cheek, then shoved me against the wall."

"Ah! You said you scraped your face on a shelf corner!" Izumi said, pointing to Saya's cheek bandage.

"Well, I lied then," Saya said, Izumi's eyes widening.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this? Isn't this dangerous to just… have someone attack you and you do nothing about it? We should tell Junichi and hi-"

"Absolutely not." Saya shot back.

"What? Why not?" Izumi asked, shocked. "What your doing isn't common sense, Saya. Someone attacked you and you're going to do nothing?" She asked.

"Do you think we'll be better off if we were panicking like startled deer? Constantly accusing each other of being violent, constantly distrusting one another because we don't know who we can trust. This place needs order, this place needs me. I feel like if I panic, the rest of you will panic. And once we panic, the rest of us will die." Saya claimed, adjusting her glasses and reaching over to grab her yardstick.

"And what if he killed you?" Izumi accused. "What if he decided that he wanted the other students to panic? What if he saw that cut he did as proof that he could get to you and wanted to follow it up?! He's a hunter, Saya!" She continued, pointing a finger at Saya, for it only to be slapped away by her yardstick.

"You think I don't know that, Igarashi?!" Saya shouted in response, startling Izumi enough for her to step back from the student council president. "Do you think I don't know that he wants me afraid of him so I'm easier to kill!? Do you think I'm an idiot!?" She said, now breathing heavily from shouting. She had to hold back the urge to reach for her inhaler. Izumi's expression faded, as the silence between the two began to grow uncomfortably long.

"S-Saya…" Izumi said, saddened by Saya's lashing out.

Saya took off her glasses, and closed her eyes. Izumi just quietly handing her the tray with the omelet on it, she put her glasses in her shirt pocket, and took the food from the Ultimate Waitress.

"When I was accepted to Hope's Peak, I expected to hone my skills as a leader and build career prospects for my future. I had no idea this was going to happen. I.. I thought I was going to be a moral pillar for others. Death wasn't supposed to be involved. But damn it, if I have to lead us out of this hotel, then I cannot show any signs of weakness! I cannot and will not let anyone hold power over me. Not Suba, not Kakihara and especially not Monokuma! I can't afford to fail… If I fail, I… I don't know who else people would be able to put their faith in." Saya said, balling her hands into fists.

"Puhuhuhu~ Did somebody say my name?" Monokuma asked.

"Oh, not you again!" Izumi exclaimed.

"What are you doing here, bear?" Saya asked.

"I guess you folks can just sort of expect me as already here, but hiding somewhere typically. Be it the bedroom, the kitchen, or the bathroom, I'll be the- Oh. That last part makes me sound weird. Scratch that part, alright?"

"Quite the opposite, I'm making a mental note," Saya said, holding up her yardstick. "Now, explain _why_ you're here."

"Well, since you two watched your motive videos, I'd thought I'd tell you about this little detail about the Killing Suite; blah blah blah blah blah," Monokuma said, rolling his wrist.

"What?" Izumi asked.

"Uhh… I guess I thought I told everyone already, so I wouldn't have to say it again! But I forgot you two are different characters!" Monokuma said. "Anyway, one of you losers is working for me! I mean.. One of the 16 of ya, not one of the two of you. But who knows? Maybe it is one of you two. Oooh, did I say that after you two had a heart-to-heart?" Monokuma asked with a mocking giggle.

"A traitor? You're saying one of the people here is a plant who works for you and not a hostage?" Saya asked.

"Yup-yup! That's the idea! And, you know the whole saying about how one bad apple spoils the bunch? That whole… indefinite spending time here thing? If you don't have someone kill the traitor for me, I'll kill every other student within the next 20 days!" Monokuma announced sadistically, his maniacal grin widening.

"It won't matter. We'll be out of this hotel before then," Saya said, trying to create an air of confidence. Monokuma let out a long yawn.

"Awwwnh~ Again with this? I just… I thought you were interesting, Saya. Can you go back to having a breakdown? This fake confidence you're exuding… You're kind of delaying the good part." Monokuma said. "And even worse, you're just doing the stupid cliches again. 'We'll get out of here! We won't kill anyone! I'm gonna stop the killing game!' Just once can one of you main character types try something else?!"

"You're gonna try and persevere through the power of friendship, or hope, or good morals or some crap because what else are you going to do to spite me? An armed insurrection? A ritual suicide? Be creative! C'mon! This is writing 101. You always subvert expectations! If someone finds out what you're doing, instantly subvert their expectations! A story is never good if you know what's going to happen next!" Monokuma raved.

"This isn't a story, Monokuma. You locked a bunch of us in here expecting us to just snap and kill each other. Do you think we're all just a bunch of murderers?" Izumi contended.

"Eh. You know what'll happen if ya don't get a-killin', waitress gal. C'mon, strap a girl to a pole, record a murder on camera, do a weird switcharoo with the bodies like the Mikan ripoff you are. You know what happens to your sister if you don't hustle hustle hustle!" Monokuma said, clapping his hands on each 'hustle.' Izumi's eyes widened in shock and slight confusion.

"Your sister, Igarashi?" Saya asked, concerned slightly.

"Who's Mikan!? I don't know what you're talking about! Stop comparing me to people I don't know!" Izumi said, hoping to avoid Saya's question.

"Subvert my expectations, Izumi! Subvert them!" Monokuma demanded, pointing at Izumi. "You're making me bored. Your character arc sucks!" he shouted. Izumi just sighed and rubbed a hand through her unkempt hair. "I just… I want SOMETHING, guys! Please… This whole thing feels like a waste of time…"

"...I'll tell you when the bear leaves, Saya," Izumi said as Saya continued to look at her.

"Maybe I should start over this killing game. I dunno, put a weird serial killer with amnesia or something in it as the main character; Maybe that might get good ratings…" Monokuma muttered, kicking his paw lightly against a bedpost over and over. "Everything's the saaaame. It's booooring…" he said with a defeated tone before walking out of the room.

"What is his obsession with our 'writing?' He acts like… He acts like we're all on a script. He keeps comparing us to characters he knows like some kind of… weird fanboy." Izumi said, before turning to Saya.

"Don't dodge the answer. Tell me what happened to your sister." Saya said, pointing her yardstick to Izumi's chest.

"You're dodging the fact you hid dangerous information to yourself, you should really tell people he's dangerous."

"You said that what we talk about doesn't leave the room; I'll tell you what my motive video was if you drop it."

"...Fine." Izumi said with a sigh. "This got… really awkward. That wasn't my intention, I just.. I came to give you omelets." Izumi said, leaning against a desk. "I… I have an older sister. She was the latest Ultimate Chef after the last few moved on with their lives. Her name is Kasumi Igarashi… And was the real heir to my father's restaurant." She said. "My father… he was a cruel man. He didn't want his restaurant, something that was passed through the generations for centuries to be run by a woman. So.. he insulted, screamed at, and hurt Kasumi for any small failure." Izumi stated. Saya felt a familiar feeling to all of this. "He wanted a son, but his wife left him after having me, so he hated me too."

"She… She shot herself in the head one day. The night before the Emperor visited the restaurant. But, she didn't die. But she fell into a coma that she couldn't wake up from, partially brain dead, she was put on life support to see if she'd recover. I… I was kidnapped on the way to seeing her, and Monokuma threatened to pull her life support if I don't kill somebody."

"My father killed my uncle, who was the Prime Minister of Japan. It's more… complex than that, but… That's the basic part of it." Saya explained. "I… I don't really want to say much more, but I understand how you feel, Izumi." She added, taking a deep sigh to calm herself down. "I should finish this omelet, it's getting late and it's getting cold." She said.

"That's… wow. Those motive videos… it must be like this for everybody." Izumi said, as Saya grabbed her chopsticks and started to take a ginger bite of the well cooked, though somewhat lukewarm meal. "Junichi… Taiga… Surumi… They all must be going through something like this."

"...Igarashi, do you mind taking a MonoCoin from me and getting a drink from one of the vending machines? I just realized I don't have anything to wash this down with." Saya asked, reaching into her pocket and lightly flicking a coin toward Izumi, who caught it on one of her bandage covered hands.

"Y-yeah, alright," Izumi said, heading for the door.

"Before you go, a question," Saya requested.

"Yeah?" Izumi responded nervously.

"Why are your hands bandaged?" Saya asked. "Are you wounded? Are you trying to hide an old injury…?"

"Oh, uhh… It's dumb." Izumi said, looking at her hands, which had clean bandages running up her fingers and nearly to her elbows. "It's to protect my hands. Chefs knives are seriously sharp, you can chop a finger off just as easily as slicing through a filet because it's almost entirely for cutting food. I'm kind of clumsy… So I put on these bandages so I don't knick my fingers." Izumi said with an awkward laugh.  
"Wouldn't you just wear gloves to prevent the knife from cutting you?" Saya asked, intrigued.

"A lot of people think chefs wear gloves… we don't. Our hands are usually just very sterile so we have our dexterity unhindered, and using gloves means my hands can slip, bandages have a lot of grip to them so I don't drop anything."

"I see… carry on, then. My curiosity is sated but my throat needs water," Saya said.

"R-right!" Izumi said with a quick bow, heading for the door.

"And Igarashi?" Saya asked as Izumi opened the door.

"Y-yes, Saya?" Izumi asked, somewhat nervously.

"Thank you for listening... " Saya said with a small smile. Izumi smiled back and headed out the door, leaving Saya to eat her omelet in peace.

**19 DAYS REMAIN**


	12. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 7

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 7)

"Puhuhuhu~ This video is for Saya Kiruma, the Ultimate Class President!" Monokuma announced on the screen of the DVD player's flip out monitor. "I guess you could say, I have some… tragic news for you, so I highly suggest you watch this alone so you don't have any eavesdroppers," he stated. Saya, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed of her room, with the DVD player in her lap, was entirely alone.

She had been alone since she was threatened by Katsuya the night before, it was almost nighttime, and she still has barely left her room, and hasn't even eaten since. Her fingers wouldn't stop reaching up to rub the bandage covered cut on her cheek, but the video she was watching from Monokuma had her distracted.

"Norimoto Kiruma should ring a bell to you, Saya. Isn't that your father? If I remember correctly, you and your brother Shiro both dislike him for being a 'failure' compared to the Prime Minister of Japan, and I believe to be your uncle, Ryushi Izumura. Different last name? Guess he's an uncle on your mother's side." Monokuma said, reading a piece of paper in his paw.

"I know a lot about you and your brother… Your father would beat your mother after his campaign to join the Japanese Diet failed when he got caught sneaking into a women's public bathing house to attempt to court an underaged fan of his. This caused your mom to fall into alcoholism and depression, and she died after her car went careening off a pass in Gunma prefecture." Monokuma continued to read, showing her mother on the nightly news the day they reported her death. Saya swallowed some spit, him knowing that was making her uncomfortable. All of this had never left the Kiruma household, so one could or should know this. She gripped tightly on her inhaler but her heart rate was steady.

"So what would a father do if the apple of his eye, at least when it comes to abuse, is dead? Beat the eldest son, of course!" Monokuma said, happily. "No wonder why he became such a mess in his adulthood… Anyways, your father was clearly a troubled man after your mother passed… but did you know how troubled he would become once he heard that both his daughter and his son vanished one day?" Monokuma said, as the video cut to news footage, showing her father, a white-haired man wearing glasses in his middle age walking out of their home wearing handcuffs.

"In an update to our earlier breaking news, we would like to report that the main suspect for the murder of Japanese Prime Minister Ryushi Izumura is now in police custody. The fallen politician, Norimoto Kiruma has been arrested for bludgeoning his brother in law to death with a marble statue of a bear. We're not entirely sure why he could do such an act, especially after both of his kids were reported missing and Ryushi promised to investigate the disappearance, but I feel like the Japanese people will feel safer at night knowing that such unstable men as him are behind bars." A sharply dressed female newscaster announced as the video played in the upper right corner of her father's arrest.

"No… he wouldn't…" Saya said in barely a whisper. Her dad was not a good man, not good at all. He would hurt her older brother and project all the things he wasn't into these absurd expectations for him… Punishing him for any minor failure in his progress to be the politician his father wasn't. Compounded when he went to Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Politician. Shiro broke and burned every bridge he had because of it.

But to become a murderer is a whole step beyond being kind of a terrible dad. Especially murdering his brother-in-law and a highly respected figure like the Prime Minister "So… I bet you want to know what happened! Remember, capital punishment is totally legal in Japan, and after his trial in about 21 days… I assume we'll be seeing him hanging from a noose." Monokuma spoke as her father sat behind bars.

**KILL TO ESCAPE, SAYA  
**  
Saya pulled her inhaler up as her lungs began to tighten. She took in a deep breath of medicine the tight feeling on her lungs fading as she firmly shut the DVD player, and threw it against a wall, breaking it. Her father was in jail, she and her brother had been kidnapped and her uncle was dead. Everything around her was falling apart around her. She felt her eyes begin to sting slightly when there was a sudden knock at her door.

"...Saya? Are you in there?" came Izumi's voice from behind her bedroom door. "I haven't seen you all day, are you alright in there?"

"Ah… Igara… Izu…" Saya began, trying to choose between the Ultimate Waitress' first and last names. "Hold on," Saya said, barely audible as she took a deep breath to compose herself. She grabbed her heels off the floor, putting them on as she looked herself over in the mirror, hiding away her inhaler in the drawer. She quickly wiped the corner of her eyes, though her sclera had still reddened slightly. Another series of knocks followed. "I'm coming!" Saya yelled abruptly, taking another deep breath before heading to the door.

Saya opened the door to see Izumi standing in front of her, carrying a plastic tray with a lid coated in steam, condensing on the lid. "What brings you here, Igarashi?"

"W-well, you never came around for breakfast or lunch, I got worried that you haven't eaten at all today!" Izumi said. "So I made you an omelet!" she offered, holding up the tray closer to Saya.

"Ah… thank you." Saya said, taking the tray and walking over to her bed, taking a seat. She gently popped the top of the lid off, nostrils hit with the smell coming out with the steam. It was an inviting scent, so she looked down, seeing a rather well-made omelet with green peppers, cheese, chives and coated in black pepper. Next to it was a pair of chopsticks, with small packets of ketchup, mustard, and chopped onions.

"Are… Are you sure that you're okay?" Izumi asked softly, slowly walking over to Saya.

"Yes… I… I've been…" Saya said, trying to think of a convincing lie, but looking Izumi in the eyes made it difficult. Izumi looked at her with such innocent eyes, almost like a puppy in human form. Saya looked down at the omelet, hoping that avoiding her would make Izumi leave.

"If you're not feeling well, you can talk to me. I won't tell anyone. I… I understand what it feels like when you tell someone how you feel privately like it's just supposed to be between two friends… and other people catch wind of it and start… making assumptions about you." Izumi said, not breaking her gaze from Saya's

"Igarashi, you ca-" Saya said before Izumi cut her off.

"Saya; It's okay. I'm here for you." Izumi said with a small bow.

"...I…" Saya began, looking up at Izumi. She finally took a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes. "C-close the door behind you."

"Done and done," Izumi said, walking over to the door and shutting.

"How did you really know something was wrong?" Saya asked as Izumi walked over to take a seat next to Saya.

"You expect for me to watch you completely change your behavior around me and -not- think something happened? I've only known you for so long, but I can tell these things. You're not as good at hiding how you feel than you think you are, at least to someone whose… used to sadness as I am." Izumi said, Saya blinking in surprise.

"I watched my 'motive' video, that's all," Saya admitted.

"You're wrong. You were like this before the existence of the DVDs… S-something has you scared right now, I want you to stop lying to me, and tell me what it is." Izumi said, her face hardening slightly.

"Ah! Fine… while I was getting my glasses replaced, I ran into Suba…" Saya began.

"Suba…? Y-you mean the hunter with the bear hood, right? That scary guy?" Izumi asked.

"Yes. I tried to confront him on his solitary nature. He threw a knife at me to cut my cheek, then shoved me against the wall."

"Ah! You said you scraped your face on a shelf corner!" Izumi said, pointing to Saya's cheek bandage.

"Well, I lied then," Saya said, Izumi's eyes widening.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this? Isn't this dangerous to just… have someone attack you and you do nothing about it? We should tell Junichi and hi-"

"Absolutely not." Saya shot back.

"What? Why not?" Izumi asked, shocked. "What your doing isn't common sense, Saya. Someone attacked you and you're going to do nothing?" She asked.

"Do you think we'll be better off if we were panicking like startled deer? Constantly accusing each other of being violent, constantly distrusting one another because we don't know who we can trust. This place needs order, this place needs me. I feel like if I panic, the rest of you will panic. And once we panic, the rest of us will die." Saya claimed, adjusting her glasses and reaching over to grab her yardstick.

"And what if he killed you?" Izumi accused. "What if he decided that he wanted the other students to panic? What if he saw that cut he did as proof that he could get to you and wanted to follow it up?! He's a hunter, Saya!" She continued, pointing a finger at Saya, for it only to be slapped away by her yardstick.

"You think I don't know that, Igarashi?!" Saya shouted in response, startling Izumi enough for her to step back from the student council president. "Do you think I don't know that he wants me afraid of him so I'm easier to kill!? Do you think I'm an idiot!?" She said, now breathing heavily from shouting. She had to hold back the urge to reach for her inhaler. Izumi's expression faded, as the silence between the two began to grow uncomfortably long.

"S-Saya…" Izumi said, saddened by Saya's lashing out.

Saya took off her glasses, and closed her eyes. Izumi just quietly handing her the tray with the omelet on it, she put her glasses in her shirt pocket, and took the food from the Ultimate Waitress.

"When I was accepted to Hope's Peak, I expected to hone my skills as a leader and build career prospects for my future. I had no idea this was going to happen. I.. I thought I was going to be a moral pillar for others. Death wasn't supposed to be involved. But damn it, if I have to lead us out of this hotel, then I cannot show any signs of weakness! I cannot and will not let anyone hold power over me. Not Suba, not Kakihara and especially not Monokuma! I can't afford to fail… If I fail, I… I don't know who else people would be able to put their faith in." Saya said, balling her hands into fists.

"Puhuhuhu~ Did somebody say my name?" Monokuma asked.

"Oh, not you again!" Izumi exclaimed.

"What are you doing here, bear?" Saya asked.

"I guess you folks can just sort of expect me as already here, but hiding somewhere typically. Be it the bedroom, the kitchen, or the bathroom, I'll be the- Oh. That last part makes me sound weird. Scratch that part, alright?"

"Quite the opposite, I'm making a mental note," Saya said, holding up her yardstick. "Now, explain _why_ you're here."

"Well, since you two watched your motive videos, I'd thought I'd tell you about this little detail about the Killing Suite; blah blah blah blah blah," Monokuma said, rolling his wrist.

"What?" Izumi asked.

"Uhh… I guess I thought I told everyone already, so I wouldn't have to say it again! But I forgot you two are different characters!" Monokuma said. "Anyway, one of you losers is working for me! I mean.. One of the 16 of ya, not one of the two of you. But who knows? Maybe it is one of you two. Oooh, did I say that after you two had a heart-to-heart?" Monokuma asked with a mocking giggle.

"A traitor? You're saying one of the people here is a plant who works for you and not a hostage?" Saya asked.

"Yup-yup! That's the idea! And, you know the whole saying about how one bad apple spoils the bunch? That whole… indefinite spending time here thing? If you don't have someone kill the traitor for me, I'll kill every other student within the next 20 days!" Monokuma announced sadistically, his maniacal grin widening.

"It won't matter. We'll be out of this hotel before then," Saya said, trying to create an air of confidence. Monokuma let out a long yawn.

"Awwwnh~ Again with this? I just… I thought you were interesting, Saya. Can you go back to having a breakdown? This fake confidence you're exuding… You're kind of delaying the good part." Monokuma said. "And even worse, you're just doing the stupid cliches again. 'We'll get out of here! We won't kill anyone! I'm gonna stop the killing game!' Just once can one of you main character types try something else?!"

"You're gonna try and persevere through the power of friendship, or hope, or good morals or some crap because what else are you going to do to spite me? An armed insurrection? A ritual suicide? Be creative! C'mon! This is writing 101. You always subvert expectations! If someone finds out what you're doing, instantly subvert their expectations! A story is never good if you know what's going to happen next!" Monokuma raved.

"This isn't a story, Monokuma. You locked a bunch of us in here expecting us to just snap and kill each other. Do you think we're all just a bunch of murderers?" Izumi contended.

"Eh. You know what'll happen if ya don't get a-killin', waitress gal. C'mon, strap a girl to a pole, record a murder on camera, do a weird switcharoo with the bodies like the Mikan ripoff you are. You know what happens to your sister if you don't hustle hustle hustle!" Monokuma said, clapping his hands on each 'hustle.' Izumi's eyes widened in shock and slight confusion.

"Your sister, Igarashi?" Saya asked, concerned slightly.

"Who's Mikan!? I don't know what you're talking about! Stop comparing me to people I don't know!" Izumi said, hoping to avoid Saya's question.

"Subvert my expectations, Izumi! Subvert them!" Monokuma demanded, pointing at Izumi. "You're making me bored. Your character arc sucks!" he shouted. Izumi just sighed and rubbed a hand through her unkempt hair. "I just… I want SOMETHING, guys! Please… This whole thing feels like a waste of time…"

"...I'll tell you when the bear leaves, Saya," Izumi said as Saya continued to look at her.

"Maybe I should start over this killing game. I dunno, put a weird serial killer with amnesia or something in it as the main character; Maybe that might get good ratings…" Monokuma muttered, kicking his paw lightly against a bedpost over and over. "Everything's the saaaame. It's booooring…" he said with a defeated tone before walking out of the room.

"What is his obsession with our 'writing?' He acts like… He acts like we're all on a script. He keeps comparing us to characters he knows like some kind of… weird fanboy." Izumi said, before turning to Saya.

"Don't dodge the answer. Tell me what happened to your sister." Saya said, pointing her yardstick to Izumi's chest.

"You're dodging the fact you hid dangerous information to yourself, you should really tell people he's dangerous."

"You said that what we talk about doesn't leave the room; I'll tell you what my motive video was if you drop it."

"...Fine." Izumi said with a sigh. "This got… really awkward. That wasn't my intention, I just.. I came to give you omelets." Izumi said, leaning against a desk. "I… I have an older sister. She was the latest Ultimate Chef after the last few moved on with their lives. Her name is Kasumi Igarashi… And was the real heir to my father's restaurant." She said. "My father… he was a cruel man. He didn't want his restaurant, something that was passed through the generations for centuries to be run by a woman. So.. he insulted, screamed at, and hurt Kasumi for any small failure." Izumi stated. Saya felt a familiar feeling to all of this. "He wanted a son, but his wife left him after having me, so he hated me too."

"She… She shot herself in the head one day. The night before the Emperor visited the restaurant. But, she didn't die. But she fell into a coma that she couldn't wake up from, partially brain dead, she was put on life support to see if she'd recover. I… I was kidnapped on the way to seeing her, and Monokuma threatened to pull her life support if I don't kill somebody."

"My father killed my uncle, who was the Prime Minister of Japan. It's more… complex than that, but… That's the basic part of it." Saya explained. "I… I don't really want to say much more, but I understand how you feel, Izumi." She added, taking a deep sigh to calm herself down. "I should finish this omelet, it's getting late and it's getting cold." She said.

"That's… wow. Those motive videos… it must be like this for everybody." Izumi said, as Saya grabbed her chopsticks and started to take a ginger bite of the well cooked, though somewhat lukewarm meal. "Junichi… Taiga… Surumi… They all must be going through something like this."

"...Igarashi, do you mind taking a MonoCoin from me and getting a drink from one of the vending machines? I just realized I don't have anything to wash this down with." Saya asked, reaching into her pocket and lightly flicking a coin toward Izumi, who caught it on one of her bandage covered hands.

"Y-yeah, alright," Izumi said, heading for the door.

"Before you go, a question," Saya requested.

"Yeah?" Izumi responded nervously.

"Why are your hands bandaged?" Saya asked. "Are you wounded? Are you trying to hide an old injury…?"

"Oh, uhh… It's dumb." Izumi said, looking at her hands, which had clean bandages running up her fingers and nearly to her elbows. "It's to protect my hands. Chefs knives are seriously sharp, you can chop a finger off just as easily as slicing through a filet because it's almost entirely for cutting food. I'm kind of clumsy… So I put on these bandages so I don't knick my fingers." Izumi said with an awkward laugh.  
"Wouldn't you just wear gloves to prevent the knife from cutting you?" Saya asked, intrigued.

"A lot of people think chefs wear gloves… we don't. Our hands are usually just very sterile so we have our dexterity unhindered, and using gloves means my hands can slip, bandages have a lot of grip to them so I don't drop anything."

"I see… carry on, then. My curiosity is sated but my throat needs water," Saya said.

"R-right!" Izumi said with a quick bow, heading for the door.

"And Igarashi?" Saya asked as Izumi opened the door.

"Y-yes, Saya?" Izumi asked, somewhat nervously.

"Thank you for listening... " Saya said with a small smile. Izumi smiled back and headed out the door, leaving Saya to eat her omelet in peace.

**19 DAYS REMAIN**


	13. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 8

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 8)

_Ding Dong…  
_  
"Ehhhh… So this isn't really a bell, it's a recording of a bell." Monokuma said, hitting a button over and over on his chair. "That's because why would a hotel have a huge bell somewhere for me to ring?" Monokuma said, now frustratedly punching his button for the bell over again. "And for some reason, my MP3 of the bell keeps closing the media player every time I hit it! Grrr... If anyone can help me fix it, I'll give you guys 5 whole MonoCoins!"

_Di-di-di-di-ding Dong….  
_  
"Oh, it's 7 AM by the way. The banquet is at 2 PM! So go find something to do to pass the time, alright? Have a good morning!" Monokuma said before the monitor shut off. Every time Monokuma hit the bell, the sound would loop on the bell, which made the currently resting Saya just glare at her ceiling so hard it could light on fire.

_Din-  
_  
"STOP RINGING THE DAMN BELL!" Saya screamed, kicking her blanket off the bed and sitting up straight, clenching her fists into a tight ball.

"Your complaint has been noted, and entirely ignored," Monokuma stated over the intercom.

_Din-n-n-n-n-n-n-ng Dong, Bing Bong._

"TAKE THAT, COMPUTERS! WHOO!" Monokuma shouted, celebrating him fixing it himself. "Nobody gets money! I win!"

Saya just sighed in response to that, getting out of bed and walking up to the mirror. Another morning of trying in vain to force down that damned strand of hair. "How is that all of my hair has stayed perfectly in place beside you?" she asked, poking at the hair. "My hair is all the way down to my middle back and this strand decides it's had enough of gravity," Saya complained.

She finally decided that enough time had passed, pinching one end of the bandage on her cheek, and peeled it off of her face. The cut was dried out and slightly scabbed over, meaning she wouldn't need to keep it covered and it would heal the rest of the way on its own. This would do for now as Saya headed for the connected bathroom to have a quick shower before breakfast.

She went to the other floor to enter Izumi's 'lab' as Izumi was currently serving Chiwa, Rinne, Airi, and Rokuro.

"You tellin' me you ain't got no hot dogs, waitress chick!?" Rokuro shouted, concerned.

"S-sorry. Hotdogs cost too much at the minimart. I-If you want me to cook some hot dogs, bring me them from the store." Izumi said with a bow.

"You think I'm walking around with hotdog money, here? No way, I can't find a MonoCoin to save my life!" Rokuro shouted.

"You just haven't been looking hard enough," Rinne said with a chuckle, throwing a handful of coins into the air.

"It wasn't on the ceiling of any room I looked. Where the hell do you keep finding those!?"

"...Have you looked under anything yet?" Chiwa asked, hugging her toy rabbit as she swayed side to side gently.

"...Shit, why didn't I think of that!?" Rokuro exclaimed, slapping the side of his head. Chiwa just sighed as Rokuro went over and started flipping over dining tables and chairs in the restaurant to look for MonoCoins. "IT'S TIME TO FIND EM! LET'S GET THAT BREAD!" He shouted in his gruff tone, Izumi started squeaking in a panic.

"D-don't throw my stuff!" Izumi cried out as she flattened a breakfast sausage with her spatula. "And Rinne, I told you to stop putting your feet on the table!" she shouted, Rinne grumbling and switching her sitting position.

"Aw, come on! No one else is using the table!" Rinne objected.

"Yes, but someone's going to eat off that and I don't want to have to wipe the dirt your boots keep tracking in here!" Izumi countered as Rokuro flipped another table.

"Rinne, I needta flip that table! I need that money! Hustle, hustle!" Rokuro shouted, grabbing the edges of Rinne's table.

"Flip my table and you die," Rinne said, pointing a finger at him.

"C'mon, girl! Table money has to be worth the flipping of it."

"I'll break every finger for each MonoCoin you find under my table. I want my clam chowder and you ain't stopping me from using this table."

"Who eats clam chowder for breakfast?" Rokuro asked.

"Don't change the subject away from not touching my damn table while I'm using it!" Rinne shot back, standing up and slamming her hands on the table.

"...I thought you were a babysitter, Airi." Chiwa said, trying to avoid getting involved in a brawl about to happen.

"My skill area is youth ages 8 to 14. The only person that fits the criteria is you." Airi explained.

"...Is that how babysitting even works?"

"Rokuro, I've eaten crickets during some of my missions! I drank from cacti, I've boiled someone's urine so I could collect the evaporated water from it. If I want clam chowder for breakfast, that is MY call!" Rinne shouted.

"I thought you were angry about hot dogs?" Izumi pointed out.

"I'm angry about my lack of money CAUSING my lack of hotdogs, Izumi!"

"And I'm already neck deep in stupid, maybe I should have stayed in bed," Saya said to herself.

"Oh! Good morning, Say-" Chiwa began.

"Saya help me!" Izumi shouted. "Rokuro's being a vandal and Rinne's talking about drinking pee!"

"That is NOT what I sai-" Rinne was going to interject, as Saya took a deep breath to prepare one of her trademarked Council President shouts.

"ENOUGH!" Saya shouted, marching over to Rinne's table and striking her and Rokuro once each with her yardstick. "Both of you will obey the rules of this diner as Igarashi asked!"

"Ow! Why did you hit me?! I wasn't doing any-" Rinne objected, only to get another stinging strike.

"When I entered, I saw you sitting with your feet up on the table. Not only is that unsanitary, but it is disrespectful to Igarashi!" Saya said, spinning her yardstick in her fingers.

"At least we didn't do anything…" Chiwa said with a sigh of relief. "You don't do that to your charges, do you?"

"Absolutely not. Slapping someone for disciplinary reasons is crossing a line, especially a young child," Airi said, Chiwa putting Socrates' head to her ear.

"Hrm… ah, right. Of course," Chiwa said to herself before turning back to Airi. "Don't you drug them to sleep?" she pointed out.

"Only if they misbehave, but most kids I take care of like me," Airi said, Chiwa finding that statement not only dubious but also very unsettling.

"I uh… No comment," Chiwa said, slightly moving her chair away from Airi.

"And Rokuro, don't you DARE vandalize something that isn't yours! If you wanna smash up a room, make it somewhere else!" Saya scolded Rokuro, who just looked up at her in shock.

"Hey yeah… I haven't smashed up my room for coins yet!" Rokuro said, eyes brightening. "IT'S SMASHIN' TIME! Be back later, ladies!" he said as he charged out of the diner.

"..So he's going to break everything in his room? Is there a regulation for that?" Rinne asked.

"No, strangely," Saya answered. "Why are the males here so strange?"

"She says, in a room with the creepiest babysitter ever and a possible war criminal," Chiwa muttered out just loud enough for Rinne and Airi to hear.

"Only in 3 countries; One being Uruguay and who's ever been there?" Rinne countered.

"I'm not creepy!" Airi objected as Saya went to order.

"S-so, what can I get you, Saya?" Izumi asked.

"Egg stirred rice, and a glass of water with chopped watermelon over ice," Saya said. Izumi nodded and began gathering ingredients.

"Tamago Gohan!" Izumi called out as she readied her rice cooker.

"I guess that's what it's called." Saya replied.

"We're still speaking Japanese right?" Monokuma asked, hopping onto a nearby table. "Izumi-Chaaaaaaaaan~"

"I uh… I thought we were speaking Japanese, yes." Izumi said, scratching the back of her head.

"But how do you know you're really speaking Japanese or not?" he stated. "What about all the fancy honorifics? And the naming food, and like… puns that don't work in any other language?"

"Is there a point to you being here?" Saya asked. "Like, literally. You're wasting time and trying to force in-jokes when there aren't any."

"Nope! I'm just getting the banquet ready and being bored. Figured I'd mess with you girls a bit." Monokuma said with a chuckle.

"Duly noted. Now please leave." Saya said.

"I… What? What are you talking about? Isn't this the part you get upset and start shouting at me in some kind of comedic absurd way? That's usually the joke, I act absurd, and then people shout at me, then I laugh and walk away."

"You're not funny, and nobody likes you," Saya responded.

"I like me…" Monokuma said, hanging his head low. Chiwa let out a long sigh, turning to Socrates and nodding her head.

"Yeah, I'm bored too, Socrates," Chiwa said. "There's… literally, nothing to do in here. You gave us a bunch of DVD players with stuff that made us upset, but now we just have to sit around and do nothing."

"Uhh… Does anyone want to watch a movie or something?" Monokuma asked. "I mean, you guys got that big TV in the lounge."

"Why are you suggesting ideas?" Airi asked. 

"Isn't that floor off-limits?" Rinne pointed out.

"I'm bored too, shut up! And no, the dining room is off limits, the lounge is readily available. We have some movies in the mini-mart… Though, they might not be all that good. But a hate-watch is still more entertaining than sitting around, trying to force jokes about the format of this killing game."

"Jokes you made." Saya pointed out.

"And weren't funny," Izumi added from behind her counter.

"Shut up!" Monokuma barked out. "I'll grab everyone who is interested, and we'll all sit on the massive couch and watch a dumb movie and make fun of it. THAT'S WHAT THIS DAY WILL BE UNTIL THE BANQUET!" Monokuma shouted. "I've got like 3 hours to kill!"

"...Do you enjoy riffing on bad movies? Like.. legitimately that's something you enjoy? I thought you were all about despair." Rinne wondered. "That seems weirdly normal for a serial kidnapper who puts teenagers into a game where we murder each other."

"Bad people can still have 1 or 2 good things about them and still be horrible despair monsters. It's not impossible." Monokuma argued. "Now, I'm gonna go get us a real stinker! I'll see you all in the lounge in ten minutes!" he said as he left for the diner.

"Do I have to do this with you people, Igarashi? I just wanted some quiet time." Saya complained. Izumi leaned onto her counter to speak over the sound of sizzling meat.

"Well, we could always check out Taiga's lab. I-" Izumi began to suggest.

"No," Saya said, arms crossed.

"You didn't even let me finish what my id-" Izumi tried to cut in, but Saya stopped her at the pass. 

"Absolutely not." She bluntly stated.

"But I-" Izumi started again.

"Igarashi…" Saya threatened, holding up her yardstick.

"I'll shut up now," Izumi said, defeated, for a moment. Then she realized something. "Do you even have a better idea of what to do with your time!?" She accused. 

"..." Saya just calmly looked at the floor.

"Thought so. I thought so!" Izumi celebrated.

Saya then stood up and headed toward the Ultimate Waitress while tapping her yardstick, Izumi's eyes widening as she went back to working on food.

"I-I see your point!" Izumi said quickly. Saya nodded and returned to her seat. Izumi soon served everyone their meals; Chiwa had her usual streusel cake, Rinne got her clam chowder, Airi got black coffee and a danish and Saya got her egg-stirred rice and water.

After breakfast, the five left Izumi's diner and went to the elevator. Saya had started to become used to the feeling of the elevator's movement, weight shifting as it slowed down to a stop. They headed into the lounge, seeing that others were already sitting at the couch.

"Do we really have to do this?" Saya asked herself, Izumi poking her on the shoulder once.

"You have all that nothing planned until the banquet that you need to tend to?" Izumi asked.

"I have a feeling I would rather be doing nothing. Especially if Minami's here…" Saya said.

"You're gonna have to talk to him eventually…" Izumi said. Saya shook her head. "How long are you going to do this gimmick with him? You can't seriously avoid him for the few weeks, or even months we'll be lodged here,"

"It is not a gimmick, Igarashi. I will avoid him for years if I have to," Saya explained as she looked over the couch to see who was there; while everybody else was in the room, the level of interest between each student could be measured in leagues. Junichi was on the edge of his seat with a large grin on his face. Surumi and Touki sat on opposite sides of him, Touki equally excited and Surumi somewhat curious. Yuuto was sitting next to Sora, eating what could be described as the biggest bowl of popcorn she had ever seen one human attempt to ingest.

"Do you really need to eat that much popcorn?" Sora asked. Yuuto stuffed another handful before turning to Sora.

"It's not about how much popcorn I can eat, it's about how much popcorn I want to eat," Yuuto said, half-chewed popcorn flying from his mouth. Sora quickly shuffled away from him.

"W-Woah, dude! You're getting kernels on my clothes!" Sora exclaimed.

"It builds character, dude," Yuuto said. Saya walked over and smacked Yuuto upside the head with her yardstick. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"Hagiwara, do not talk with your mouth open," Saya said. Yuuto grumbled and shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"How much butter did you put on that popcorn?" Sora asked, seeing butter drip from Yuuto's hands.

"Enough," Yuuto answered with a sly grin.

"Is that where all of my butter went?!" Izumi asked incredulously. "There were eight sticks of butter in my lab! How did you-" she continued before being cut off.

"I have my ways!" Yuuto said proudly.

"Everybody, get in yer chairs, I'm hitting the lights and we're gonna pop in this baby!" Monokuma announced, running in front of the TV and revealing a DVD case in his paws. "Da da da daaaaaaaaaa~ Carnivore Cruiseline! Run From All, All Will Run!" he declared, to a very mixed reaction.

"Yeeeeah!" Asana exclaimed, turning to see Miyuki eying the cover with a sordid stare. The cover was… understandably questionable. It looked like a picture someone took with an old camera, with their flash turned on, and the title itself was in Comic Sans, in a shade of dark red. The cover was a man with brown, curly hair and an all-denim ensemble running away from an obvious cutout of a bear.

"...Carnivore Cruiseline?" she said, pushing up her glasses. "Why… what is this? Why would anyone watch this?"

"Because it's awesome!" Asana countered, Miyuki turning her head down to the book in her hand.

"I'll pass…" Miyuki muttered.

"C'moooooooooooooooooon!" Asana pled, hands cupped together and trying her best puppy-dog eyes, despite being buffer than most of the men there and looking like she was dressed for a street fight. "You'll totally like it when you watch it, it has a dude dropkicking a tiger down an escalator!"

"That's really not convincing me. I'll stick to reading," Miyuki said, Asana pouting and turning to the TV while Monokuma set everything up.

"They teach a Shiba Dog-Karate so he can fight a bear!" Asana objected.

"You're digging yourself deeper, Asana." Miyuki countered.

"Fine. Be a nerd!" Asana said. "Junichi and company went up like 4 cool ranks for not being stiffs like you." She said, pointing a thumb back at Junichi and Touki, who were both looking pretty amped up for the viewing. Izumi went to sit down next to Touki.

Saya took a seat next to Izumi, keeping herself and Touki separated. Chiwa sat to Saya's left, Airi sitting to Chiwa's left. Rinne sat close the TV, kicking her feet up on the nearby table to get into maximum comfort, resting an elbow on the armrest of the 16 seat sofa to hold her chin up with her hand. Rokuro sat on the back of the sofa, crouched and trying to reach for Yuuto's uncomfortably massive popcorn tub sitting between his boney legs on the couch, even covering his torso.

Katusya sat on the floor while Koba took a seat next to Rinne. Only Daichi refused to sit, leaning against the wall and showing increasing irritability. "Alright! The movie's ready!" Monokuma announced as the lights dimmed, Miyuki letting out a groan. "Everyone be sure to keep your phones off during the movie. If you have flash photography I'll stab you with a disc broken in half!"

"Oh! Are we watching that movie too?" Yuuto asked. "I thought this whole hotel thing was a reference to-"

"Can it!" Monokuma shouted at the skinny rocker.

"What movie are you-" Junichi began to ask, Monokuma cutting him off.

"Shoosh! The trailers are starting!"

"There are trailers too?!" Miyuki groaned.

The DVD began with various trailers for movies of similar quality. Koba theorized these were all from the distributor of the movie they were about to watch. All of them having that home video quality shooting and titles such as _The Bad Bitches Take Back Britain_, _Curse of Blood Forest, Computer Braindrain,_ and _Sosuke Ichikawa: Live from Branson_

The first trailer was apparently the third movie in the series, where a group of angry 40 something women is shown driving from town to town in England beating zombies with golf clubs, shotguns, and more. Somehow, the dialogue cursed more than Yuuto does in just the short runtime.

The second one was a werewolf kung-fu story hybrid, constantly shot in a sideways dutch angle in a random forest, and fake punch effects to make up for the fact the man fighting the person in a werewolf costume was clearly pulling his punches. Apparently, the director is both the starring actor and made the soundtrack himself that sounded like it was recorded in a bathroom.

The third trailer looked more like a graduate student's computer graphics animation homework, with several dodgy effects and the most obvious green screening that Junichi has ever seen. The plot, as far as anyone could tell, was about a group of humans being uploaded by their brains into a computer and having to fight off the machinations of a CEO who uploaded his brain to become an immortal hologram. 

The last trailer showed a man in a garish powder blue suit and an oversized cowboy hat. Speaking in broken English and wearing cowboy boots, and wielding a fiddle he claimed to be from NASA, He was parading around his teenage half-American daughter, who was an expert at playing the fiddle, and wearing the ugliest USA flag inspired cowgirl dress. She was square dancing in time with her father, but her expression was striking.

"Man, she looks like she wants to die," Yuuto said with a laugh.

"That's how I feel half the time in the studio," Sora said, shaking his head.

"Sosuke Ichikawa? What's a Japanese guy doing having a fiddling hoedown in Missouri?" Rinne asked.

"I've heard about him. He got super into country music when some American country star did a show in Osaka," Sora explained. "I've got to admit, he's… enthusiastic about it." right before the cowboy on the screen gave a forced, but enthusiastic 'Yee Haw!' to the cheering crowd of Americans.

"Good lord…" Junichi said, covering his face with his hand. He didn't think he could feel bad for someone who probably earned millions of dollars before just then. Surprisingly, there was a massive turnout in the crowd shots, all cheering for Sosuke. Finally, the menu popped up, Monokuma setting up the Japanese audio track and playing the movie.

The movie had a thin plot with a bunch of what could be generously be called two-dimensional characters boarding a luxury cruise ship, where a gang of smugglers manages to sneak in dangerous animals that later escape and wreak havoc on the ship and its passengers. The main character's conversations literally consisted of him reminding the audience he is a husband, a father and a cop. The dub was the only positive as the voice actors actually tried to and the localization took small liberties, but it only made things more jarring as the effects and facial performances betrayed the dub's best efforts.

The couch erupted into laughter at the first animal attack on screen, a tourist was chased down a hallway by a pack of wolves, who lept on him and began to attack them.

"Uhh… Those are huskies." Rinne pointed out. "Wolves are way bigger. Look how fluffy those tails are!" Rinne said as the camera started cutting every second or so to cover up the fact the dogs were clearly licking his arms and legs.

"Awww. Doggies!" Izumi said with a squeak.

"Is that peanut butter?" Sora asked the group. "I think the dogs are licking peanut butter off of him." He said while the audio had aggressive barking and growling overdubbed on the footage.

"Awww. They're good doggos!" Izumi shouted with joy. Airi went to cover Chiwa's eyes with her hand.

"Don't look, Chiwa. This isn't appropriate for kids." Airi said as Chiwa tried to move her head away from Airi's hand.

"Inappropriate? Move your hand, Airi! Sora said there were huskies licking him." Chiwa objected.

"It's implied violence, Chiwa. You fill in the gaps with your mind, and it becomes real violence. I don't want to corrupt your innocent nature." Airi explained.

"Monokuma's running a Killing Game!" Chiwa pointed out.

"Can all of you shut up? ! I'm trying to fuckin' watch over here!" Daichi shouted from his sulking corner.

"You ain't even on the couch, bro!" Rokuro shouted into the darkness.

"Fuck you, you caveman!" Daichi shot back. "I'm not sitting anywhere near any of you, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna watch this stupid ass movie!"

"You really don't need to curse at us…" Sora said.

"Yeah, watch the fuckin' language," Yuuto added, chuckling at his own joke. Daichi then walked over to the couch, seeing a large red cup sat precariously on the back of the couch next to Rokuro. Without a single word, Daichi struck the cup with a hard smack, sending ice and cold red liquid into the air, splashing Sora's jacket and scattering ice all over the floor.

"Hey, my punch!" Rokuro yelled.

"Screw your punch!" Daichi said in response.

"Gahhhh! It's cold!" Sora moaned.

"Kakihara! Do not go spilling beverages all over the place!" Saya called from the opposite end of the couch, getting a middle finger in response as Daichi stormed off.

"S-shit. This jacket's ruined, man. And it's cold as hell with it on! Get this off of me!" Sora shouted, unzipping his hoodie and tossing it off onto the floor, leaving him in the dimly lit room as he began to look for something to dry himself off. Izumi suddenly let out an excited squeal.

"He's got _abs_!" Izumi exclaimed, noticing that Sora indeed had some muscle tone on his otherwise slender frame. She quickly got up from the couch, Sora's eyes widening as he saw the waitress about to charge toward him. Without a second's hesitation, Saya pressed her yardstick against Surumi's neck.

"Igarashi! Control your hormones!" Saya demanded.

"W-why are you doing this to me!?" Izumi cried, struggling against Saya's hold.

"Tame your animal, Saya. I'm not for sale, it doesn't matter who!" Sora called as he hid behind Yuuto and his popcorn.

"Yo, don't drag me and my popcorn into this! I'm too skinny to hide behind anyway." Yuuto said.

"Let me go, Saya!" Izumi pleaded. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I might never see Taiga shirtless again!"

"Not on your life! Now sit down and watch this terrible movie!" Saya yelled, dragging Izumi back onto the couch. "I can't believe I'm arguing for this garbage film… but if it keeps order, then so be it."

Katsuya suddenly stood up from his spot on the floor, walking over to Sora. He grabbed his bundled up, drink-stained hoodie and folded it into his arms. "Sora, I'll grab you a fresh pair of clothes," Katsuya said bluntly.

"Wait, really? Why?" Sora asked, legitimately surprised.

"Because I'm not enjoying Izumi's reaction to you either," Katsuya explained. "And I really want an excuse to not watch this movie."

"Sounds good to me," Sora said with a shrug, handing Katsuya his shirt.

Everything began to settle down at that point. Surumi slid her hand into Junichi's during the chaos, Junichi grabbing onto it without thinking. Surumi leaned her head onto Junichi's shoulder in response. Touki let out an exaggerated yawn and stretched out his arm, about to pull Izumi in when he felt the quick, violent sting of Saya's yardstick. "O-ow! Jerk…" He muttered, shaking the pain out of his hand. Katsuya walked around the front of the couch as it was the only way to get behind it and to the elevator, leaving everybody's sight.

Junichi felt something press to his shoulder, glancing for a second and seeing that Surumi was leaning on him. He decided to lean back against her and took a deep breath to relax. Maybe being stuck here wasn't the worst thing, at times.

Junichi then felt a burning sensation on the back of his head. He felt his breath suddenly feel like a weight was pressing onto his chest, and his hand began to tremble slightly. He couldn't understand why he felt that way, but he had to turn around to see if something was making him feel this away. Katsuya was standing on the back of the couch, his face only dimly lit by the blue hues of the television screen and the film. His pale face was blue, and there was a shadow covering the top half of his face thanks to the bear pelt over his head. But his gold eyes were reflecting the TV, his almost catlike set of pupils leering back down at him while still holding the jacket under one of his arms. The audio of the room began to fade, as Junichi continued to gaze into his eyes, making him uncomfortable to the point he had to bite his lip to calm down. He had to say something.

"Wha-" Junichi started, but Katsuya immediately turned around to leave the room. He had to swallow a lot of spit when that uncomfortable moment happened.

"Oh, Junichi. Are you alright?" Surumi asked, noticing Junichi instinctively squeezed her hand.

"Y-yeah… just a little chilly, that's all…" he said. Surumi responded to Junichi's hand squeeze with a squeeze of her own, her face drawing closer to his. Junichi felt his face heat up as she began to close her eyes, her face a bright red to match his own. Junichi, taking a deep breath, shut his eyes and began to lean forward as well.

"Y'all hear that…?" Monokuma whispered, popping his head up slowly from behind the couch and wedging his stuffed head between theirs with a squish, the two of them kissing on both sides of his face. "That's the credits… the movie's over! Puhuhuhu~! Go to dinner." This startled the both of them, causing them to spill back onto the couch in different directions, sending Junichi crashing into Touki and Surumi falling in front of Asana.

The lights came back on, the students getting up from the couch. "Monokuma wins his first ever smooch! Ruahahaha!"

"Y-you… you… you!" Junichi stammered out in frustration and shock.

"Heh! Nice try, Junichi! But you're not sneaking a make-out session during my Killing Suite!" Monokuma taunted.

"D-don't… don't tell everyone that out loud! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Junichi exclaimed, turning a deep red and looking around at everyone now staring at him.

"Welp, it's public now ya perv! This cringe express was courtesy of dear ol' Monokuma; No need to thank me. " he said, cackling the whole time. "Get to the dining hall now! The banquet is ready!"

Monokuma then headed out of the diner, the remaining students leaving the lounge. Yuuto took off his shirt, throwing it to Sora as they headed for the doors. "Here, you can borrow my shirt, dude."

"Uh… thanks…" Sora muttered.

"See you at the banquet, Junichi," Surumi said, skipping away. Junichi stood there, frozen in the spot when he felt a sudden hard slap to his back.

"OW! What the?!" he exclaimed, turning to see Asana grinning at him.

"Man only three days in here and you're makin' moves! Proud of ya, dude," she said, Junichi trying to hide his face in his beanie.

"Sh-shut up!" Junichi said, hearing another voice chuckling at him. He briefly pulled up his beanie to see Miyuki with a barely suppressed grin on her face.

"Y-you'd better be careful, Asana. It seems we've got a ladykiller in this hotel." Miyuki joked

"That's n-not… Cut it out!" Junichi said, trying to hide how red his face was getting.

"Man, I've been trying for days to get a lady interested in me and all I got was Saya hitting me repeatedly. How the hell do you do that?"

"I'm not doing anything at all! Stop looking at me! Leave me alone!" Junichi replied, deeply mortified. He didn't like attention back at middle school and he doesn't like attention now.

Eventually, the jokes and congratulations subsided as the room cleared out, leaving only him and his shame. Junichi finally headed off for the dining hall, thinking of where to go to avoid any more teasing.


	14. Chapter 1 - Daily Life 9

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Daily Life 9)

Saya made her down the hall, leaving just before Junichi to make sure everyone had gotten to the dining hall. She pressed her hands to the double door of the dining hall, leaning her weight into it and pushing the door wide open to a busy, lively dining hall with the smell of freshly cooked food and the chatter of dozens of her constituents. The first thing she saw was a massive obsidian statue of Monokuma holding up a massive fork over his head, with Airi and Chiwa at the feet of the statue, Airi trying to get her to wear a dress similar to Airi's.

"Come onnnn. You'll look really cuuuute in it." Airi said, holding out the dress in front of Chiwa.

"You saying those words with that tone terrifies me," Chiwa said

"Chiwa, that's my voice. I always sound like that." Airi tried to explain, voice still monotone.

"Exactly! You always sound like that!" Chiwa shot back. Saya walked over to them first.

"Kudo, what are you doing?" Saya asked.

"Saya, help! Airi's trying to make me wear her creepy dress!" Chiwa cried.

"My dress isn't creepy…" Airi said, offended.

"Kudo, refrain from our strangeness for a night or I will be forced to discipline you," Saya warned before turning her eyes to the left-side table, seeing Izumi leaning against the door leading into the kitchen. Saya walked over to her. "Ah, Igarashi. Will Monokuma be requiring your services tonight?" she asked, putting on a rare friendly smile. Izumi just looked briefly to Saya and then looked away.

"Igarashi, I asked you a question," Saya said, Izumi just glaring at Saya before turning her head away again. "You're acting like a ten-year-old, what's the matter?"

"She said she's not talking to you because you wouldn't let her grope Sora," Asana explained, taking a drink of blue punch.

"That's n-not what I-" Izumi said, face turning bright pink.

"Hey if you can't speak for yourself I'm speakin' for ya. I always tell the truth, even if people don't wanna hear it!" Asana protested.

"So, you're refusing to speak to me? That's vexing…" Saya muttered.

"Y-you hypocrite…" Izumi muttered.

"Yeah, how does it feel?!" Touki shouted, from literally dozens of feet away from them at the opposite table.

"Nanashima, tell Minami to be quiet," Saya ordered, Asana downing her punch in one big gulp.

"Sure thing," Asana said as she cracked her knuckles and walked over to the table.

"A-are you having intentions of assault!?" Saya exclaimed, eyes wide in shock.

"That's how I shut people up! You got a problem with that, queen nerd!?" Asana called from the hall, Touki quickly running off from the table with a panicked yell.

"Y-you're not my assistant anymore, Nanashima! You've been terminated from your position!" Saya shouted.

"Man, I just set a record with how fast I can get fired from my job! I'm awesome." Asana said with a chuckle. "Now, where's Miyuki?" she said as she looked around the hall. 

"Right… Chiwa, would you mind being my assistant?" Saya asked, Chiwa's eyes lighting up.

"Of course!" Chiwa said, tearing away from Airi.

"Stop. No. Come back, Chiwa." Airi said, barely moving from the fountain.

"Minami, shut up for the rest of the banquet!" Chiwa called as she ran up to Saya's side. Saya chuckled.

"You're proving better than my last assistant already," Saya said proudly before turning to Izumi. "You are now suspended from your position!" she said, Izumi just rolling her eyes and walking out of the dining hall.

Saya sighed and look around, first spotting Koba next to a platter of various cheeses and a plate of crackers. He was putting different cheeses between two pairs of crackers, and eating multiple sets of cracker sandwiching while slamming down a green glass of punch between each one. He was ravenously stuffing cracker sandwiches into his mouth. Past Koba's shoulder, Katsuya was sitting in the corner near the stage's curtains, back against the wall as he was sharpening his knife with a small whetstone. Saya shivered slightly and thought about confronting him about the knife he was carrying, but decided to avoid the Ultimate Hunter for now.

Asana made it around the other side of the table, Miyuki greeting her with a smile despite shivering more than a chihuahua in winter and making her red cup of punch slosh violently between sips. Asana chuckled and gave Miyuki a slap on the back. This made her nearly jump out of her clothes and throw the cup far behind her back from being startled, the cup crashing on the floor in the middle of the room. "Ah! Asana! D-don't do that!"

"Heh, sorry, MiMi! Here, lemme get ya some more punch." Asana said, heading over to the table on the right. Saya's eyes followed Asana to the table, which had three bowls of punch with three different colors. All three had an index card with a name next to them; Red Riot, Blue Blast and Green Growler. Yuuto was stirring the ladle of the blue punch lazily before pouring some into a clear plastic cup. He was shirtless, showing his wiry, long-limbed frame and pallid complexion covered in tattoos of various band logos, none of which Saya recognized. At the Gates, Omnium Gatherum, Gojira, Dimmu Borgir, Strapping Young Lad, The Darkness, Code Orange, Dillinger Escape Plan, whatever those were.

Sora was stood next to him, thankful that Yuuto's shirt was a few sizes bigger than his usual shirts as Yuuto liked to wear oversized, comfy T-shirts over something skin tight. It also had the benefit of making him look less lanky and boney.

Yuuto poured a cup of Red Riot for Sora, handing it to him. "Cheers," he said, tapping their cups together. Surumi skipped over to the table, grabbing the ladle for Green Growler and pouring two cups before skipping off. Rinne soon arrived, pouring herself a cup of red punch. Saya turned her eyes away from the punch table, seeing Daichi in a corner near the door, glaring at everyone and looking as irritable as ever. He turned to a nearby "No Smoking" sign on the wall, giving it the middle finger before giving Saya the middle finger for staring at him.

Saya tightened her hold on her yardstick, ready to march up and strike Daichi when Chiwa suddenly exclaimed "Akada! Stop drinking out of the fountain like a dog!"

Saya turned to see Rokuro at the fountain in the center of the room. The fountain was a statue of a Monokuma posed with arms outstretched, holding a paper fan in each hand and one atop his head. The fans spouted out water into the fountain, where Rokuro was scooping handfuls of water into his mouth and holding his open mouth of the streams coming out of the fans.

"I gotta drink water! All Monokuma gave us is punch! Punch isn't healthy!" Rokuro exclaimed.

"If you wanted water, you can order one from the MonoStaff!" Saya interjected as Rokuro dunked his lower jaw into the fountain water, taking in a big gulp of water. "Also, I don't think you're supposed to drink from fountains like that."

"Girl, don't you believe in Japanese Infrastructure!?" Rokuro exclaimed, water dribbling like a waterfall from his mouth.

"Wh-what? No, but-" Saya began before being cut off.

"Girl, this is municipal water! It's life energy, municipal life energy. I'm not going to rot my insides with sugar, I'm gonna rot it with the fact this water is slightly alkaline from the soil having an excess of magnesium chloride and had been previously treated with minute amounts of chlorine!" Rokuro said, dipping his hands back into the fountain water.

"How… how do you know that?" Chiwa asked.

"Don't ask, just listen! What I do makes sense!" Rokuro shouted. Saya walked over and struck Rokuro in the back of the head with her yardstick.

"Go get a water bottle from the vending machine if you're so thirsty. Cease drinking from the fountain at once, Akada." Saya said, heading for the punch table. Saya began looking over the three punch bowls. "Hm… which one to go with?"

"Red Riot is mostly watermelon with a bit of pineapple thrown in for flavor. It's like two parts missing from a fruit punch. Blue Blast is raspberry, so you can just forget it and Green Growler is melon and strawberry put together." Rinne explained.

"Your knowledge of punch is astounding," Saya said dryly.

"Thank you, I'm an expert," Rinne said in a battle of sarcasm between the two. "I taste tested each one before anyone else touched them. I wanted to make sure Monokuma didn't spike them with poison, narcotics or some sort of virus. I'm immune to most poisons from being fed tiny amounts to gain immunity, and I'm fairly certain when I know something is laced with drugs."

"...Were they laced with drugs?" Saya asked with a nervous glance at the bowls

"One. A world-renowned drug called 'Sugar.' There are pounds of the stuff in here." Rinne said, swirling her glass a few times. "I think it's to make up for it being kind of poor punch overall."

"Very well. I guess I'll go with Blue Blast." Saya said.

"Of course you do," Rinne said, ladling up a cup of blue punch and handing it to her.

"Thank you," Saya said, taking a sip. The taste of blue raspberry hit her lips, Saya swallowing it quickly. The highly processed taste of sugar-laden drinks was not one she was terribly familiar with, but it would do for a time. Chiwa took a cup of Blue Blast as well as the two continued to patrol the dining hall. They stopped at the other table, looking over the assortment of food. Saya grabbed a few sushi rolls while Junichi and Surumi looked at the finger sandwiches.

"Hm… such a fascinating collection of edibles." Surumi said, looking around before picking one up in her hand. "You would need multiple amounts of small sandwiches to facilitate the nutritional properties of one regular sandwich."

"I think it's just something to give people while the actual food is cooking," Junichi said, eating a bite of temaki roll. "You know, like an appetizer. They're technically called tea sandwiches, but I like calling them tiny sandwiches."

"I see…" Surumi said, popping one of the sandwiches into her mouth. "Mmm, ham and prosciutto. Could use some mustard…" she muttered, Saya and Chiwa turning back to the table. Chiwa grabbed a turkey and bacon sandwich, watching from their vantage point as Touki found a safe place away from Asana, who was now chatting with Miyuki. Yuuto and Sora continued to drink and talk, Sora showing a surprising amount of enthusiasm. Koba was shoveling crackers and cheese into his mouth, Rinne sitting back and drinking more punch. Katsuya had finished with his knife and Daichi was still flipping off the "No Smoking" sign.

Rokuro was now switching up to doing a few sit-ups while Airi was hovering around the chip bowl. Eventually, Saya watched as Surumi began walking on her hands towards the fountain, Junichi following after her. She softly tilted herself forward, putting both feet on the top of the fountain and jumping off her hands to stand herself back onto her feet.

"Whoa, that was pretty cool!" Chiwa said, watching as Surumi took a bow. However, Saya was focused more on keeping everyone in her sights. Yuuto, Sora, and Rinne stayed at the drinks table. Asana and Miyuki were picking out sandwiches while Koba continued to eat crackers and cheese as if his life depended on it. Airi was spreading sour cream from one chip to the other. Daichi was in his sulking corner and Izumi still hadn't returned. Rokuro was still exercising on the floor and Touki had finished filling up a plate, heading off towards the door out of the dining hall.

Her eyes returned to Junichi and Surumi at the fountain, Surumi holding Junichi's hand and staring deeply into his eyes. There was a warm smile on her face, but soon the room was surrounded in black. All Saya could see was darkness. She quickly reached into her pocket, grabbing her inhaler as she felt her lungs began to tighten. She quickly coated her lungs in medicine as a loud panic overcame the room.

"The hell!?"

"U-uhh… What just happened? Where'd the lights go?"

"Who cut the lights?!"

"Shit! Get against the wall, MiMi!"

"Try and find an outlet to turn it back on! Hold the wall if you have to."

"Chiwa? Chiwa! Come back!"

"Somebody? Help!? I can't see!"

"And the night just keeps fucking getting better! Are you shitting me?"

"Everyone stay where they are! Don't add more chaos, Monokuma can turn the lights back on!"

Saya's ears were flooded by the shouts of the other students, but she heard the sound of a door opening behind her.

There was a strange, metallic clinking sound hitting the floor nearby.

"Guys, what's going on!? We heard screaming!"

"T-Touki! Be careful!"

"Everyone find each other and exit the room in a single file line!" Saya called from her position, reaching out for Chiwa.

"Tell me where the lights are and I'll turn em back on!"

"Surumi, are you still there?"

"JUNICHI!"

**CRASH!**

That, by far, was the loudest sound Saya had ever heard in his life. There was the crunch of metal, the smashing of glass, the cracking of the floor, and the deafening velocity of the crash all hitting at the very same moment, her ears ringing in agony as she felt like his body was frozen.

"W-what the hell was what!?" A voice from nearby her said, sounding something like Touki's.

"S-somebody needs to get the lights!" another voice called, Saya was starting to figure it would have been Izumi.

"Why are the lights not coming back on!?" A third asked, sounding like Koba's.

"Hold yer horses I'll get the lights. Jeeze, you guys are dramatic." A voice that was distinctly Monokuma's answered.

"Dramatic? Did you HEAR that noise!? The place sounded like it blew the fuck up!" came a fourth, which he recognized as Daichi's.

After another minute of silent wait, the lights clicked back on, nearly blinding Saya as her eyes were blasted with brightness. Saya quickly shut her eyes shut until a scream pierced through her ears. Her eyes shot open, turning to see Izumi staring, wide-eyed and hands covering her mouth. She looked around the room, seeing looks of horror and disgust on their faces, all looking right at Junichi.

Saya turned slowly, hesitantly to Junichi, seeing that his body was splashed in thick, dark pink liquid. and staring straight ahead, eyes wide in terror. Saya followed his gaze to see a gruesome, visceral sight. The entire chandelier landed right in front of where Junichi was laying. The chandelier itself, almost 10 feet across, had its glass shattered into millions of pieces on the floor, the metal itself bent to the point of disrepair as the metal and glass stopped short of his legs. The golden colored carpet was stained a deep salmon in fresh blood, the same blood that had splattered onto Junichi's face and his clothes in a circular pattern. Saya's eyes drew closer to the center, her eyes growing wider as she looked upon the worst part of the whole display.

A lifeless corpse mangled in piles of broken glass. The weight of the massive chandelier ripping off an entire leg and leaving it separated on the floor. The stomach was nearly bisected to the point he could see the viscera holding the organs together, the messy strands of auburn hair covering what remained of the person's face, reflected hundreds and hundreds of times in the reflections of the glass.

Surumi's face. Her body was almost entirely obliterated underneath the chandelier as Junichi laid on the floor, it was like all the blood in her body was squeezed out to form a target shape in the carpet. 

_Ding Dong, Bing Bong.  
_  
"Uhh… Normally I'd show up on a TV, but since I'm right here," Monokuma said, walking in front of the stunned Junichi. "Sooooooooo…"

"A body has been discovered! Tough luck, huh? Well, after a brief investigation, we'll have ourselves a Class Trial!" Monokuma announced before sweeping bits of broken glass off his hind paws.

"Investigate…?" Saya asked, barely able to pull her eyes away from Surumi's body.

"You'll have to investigate the crime scene and anywhere else that will have relevant info to find all the clues you will need to solve this murder!" Monokuma explained. "Once I feel you guys have gathered everything, I'll call for you all to the elevator so we can begin the Class Trial!"

"Oh, and one more thing. I've uploaded a special bit of information to your student handbooks! Presenting… the Monokuma File!" Monokuma announced, a small series of pings going off. Saya pulled otu her student handbook, seeing the "Truth Bullets" menu finally open up. Saya pressed it, seeing a section deisgnated "Monokuma File #1"

"Well, I gotta get the class trial! Seeya, nerds" Monokuma then disappeared, though Junichi seemed to not even notice that the bear was even there at all. He just stared at Surumi's body, twisted and torn by the chandelier, lifeless eyes staring back at him. His whole body shook as tears streamed down his face before he let out a loud, anguished scream.


	15. Chapter 1 - Deadly Life 1

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Deadly Life 1)

"Someone's dead!? What do we do? What do we do!? What am I supposed to do!?" Izumi said, hyperventilating. Saya's eyes darted around the room as the fear and panic began to set in. Junichi scrambled back to his feet from his back while he was laying near the dropped chandelier, still covered in Surumi's blood. He screamed again, running out of the room, almost collapsing as he ran.

"Junichi, please wait!" Koba shouted, reaching over to try and grab Junichi, but Junichi barreled past him, slamming into his arm like it wasn't there and running past Touki and Izumi. "Junichi!" Koba screamed, running out of the room just past him.

"Oh fuck, man. Oh fuuuuuuck!" Sora said, grabbing his hat hard enough that it began to wrinkle in his fingers. "I…What are we supposed to do!"

"How am I supposed to fuckin' know!? It's not like I saw a damn thing!" Yuuto argued with Sora. Chiwa was currently hiding underneath a table, with Airi trying to coax her out.

"Chiwa… Chiwa, please listen to me. Can you come out of underneath the table?" Airi asked. At this moment, in spite of her alarming appearance, she actually spoke with a certain softness as she tried to talk Chiwa out from under the table.

"N-no! I'm not dying too. I need to protect Socrates!" Chiwa shouted, gripping her stuffed rabbit tightly.

"Alright! Which one of you assholes did it?!" Asana shouted, rolling her shoulders. "If none of you fess up, I'm gonna start breaking arms!"

"Y-you can't just threaten people to get answers!" Miyuki exclaimed from behind Asana.

"How the fuck was any of us supposed to know a goddamn chandelier was going to fall on somebody!?" Daichi shouted as he approached the rest of the group. "How the hell do you do that without someone else noticing!?" He shouted, pointing a finger to the chandelier. "And how was any of us supposed to cut the power!? This could have been a freak accident!"

"Oh~ Someone did it alright!" Monokuma popped in with a belly laugh. "And it was one of you~" He announced, pointing a finger between all the students. "And Junichi and Koba. They were both suspects but they ran out of the room, so I can't point at 'em."

Soon, eyes began darting in different directions as everyone began accusing different people of being the one to do it, with equal denials. Sora immediately blamed Izumi, Daichi pointed fingers to Rinne and Airi, Asana glared over at Rokuro, who tried to blame Saya. Airi took to blaming Daichi in response while Miyuki suspected Yuuto. The accusations filled the room while Saya was trying to focus all of the questions bubbling through her mind. Others were asking why Junichi ran off and how he was the most suspicious because of it.

Saya took a deep breath before slamming her yardstick against the table. "Everybody stop!" Saya shouted, everyone suddenly turning quiet.

"Monokuma, what did you want us to do for this 'trial?'" Saya asked, twirling her yardstick in her fingers as she took the front of the group to stare down the bear. "What's required of us for this trial to proceed?"

"Wellllll… I guess a class trial is kinda like a regular court trial. You'll all act as your own lawyers, sometimes as prosecutors, sometimes as defendants, sometimes as suspects. But there's only one 'session,' we barely have breaks, there are no consultant fees, or depositions to sit through as a reference for your evidence. You just get the information you find in your 'investigation' of the crime scene." Monokuma explained, rocking back and forth on his paws. "Don't worry, though. I always make sure you guys get enough time to find evidence to actually figure out the real culprit before I dump you into the trial grounds. But if you take too long, I'll get bored and throw you in there regardless."

"So you're allowing a brief investigation period?" Saya asked.

"Yeppers, just check some things out, get a couple of stories, if I think you got it, or if you're wasting my time, I'll end the investigation and we'll all get in a slow, dramatic elevator ride and do the class trial! The 'truth bullets' are just sort of a reference guide for things I think you guys should keep in mind, but it'll only tell you things you've found out yourself, you're not gonna learn something if you didn't see it yourself." Monokuma explained.

"Understood," Saya said, turning to Izumi. "Igarashi, your suspension is lifted. We're investigating the murder of Surumi Takeuchi."

"Are… you still?" Izumi asked nervously.

"Ignore the incident earlier," Saya said. "Nothing before this matters. This Killing Suite became real the second that chandelier fell."

"Uhm… Okay. I just… Is this really happening? Do we have to… go investigate a murder?" Izumi asked, still shaken.

"I thought we would have the help of a detective, but it seems you and I are the designated investigators since everybody is too busy with accusations at the moment and Koba has run off…" Saya said. "I think the... first thing I have in mind is to see if it was really an accident or not. We'd have to figure out how the chandelier was connected to the ceiling."

"Well… uhm… shouldn't we check the Monokuma File, first?" Izumi asked.

"Good point," Saya said, nodding and turning back to her student handbook, going to the truth bullets menu and opening the notification for Monokuma File #1.

_Monokuma File #1_

_Victim: Surumi Takeuchi_

_Time Of Death, 2:52 PM, Massive impact damage has crushed several bones in her body and glass has sliced her flesh, the death was instantaneous. There was no sign of tampering or poisons of any kind._

"I don't think I've learned anything I didn't know by reading that," Izumi commented.

"She was killed instantly, no prior wounds. That chandelier did the job, there was no other murder weapon covered up by the chandelier falling on her. I think it would state if she had any unusual wounds like stab marks or poisoning." Saya surmised.

"So… so the chandelier was the murder weapon," Izumi said.

"Right, and the question becomes how it was connected to the ceiling."

"Hrm… the chandeliers at my father's restaurant were connected to these winch thingies that were connected by support beams. He told me there was more than one point of failure on them because of safety standards after the last few earthquakes." Izumi said. Saya nodded as she continued to study the ceiling.

"So there may be a counterweight in here that had been compromised. Can you help me find where the cable connected to the chandelier was connected?"

"I-I'll try!" Izumi said, trying to keep her eyes away from the fallen chandelier.

"If you're right, there should be either two cables or one looped to two different connections," Saya said as Izumi ran to where she found the cord, sitting somewhere near the stage, just in front of the curtain.

"It… it looks like it's only one wire connected to two mounts! There's a bracket to connect it to the ceiling, but then it draped down to somewhere around here. I only see one cord, not two." Izumi called.

"Is the cord sliced or frayed?" Saya asked.

"Uhm.. what?" Izumi asked, confused. Saya jogged over to her and looked at the same cord she was looking at.

"I want to see if the cord was frayed, like it was slowly giving way, or was it sliced cleanly through with some kind of blade," Saya explained, looking down at the cord, it was strange. The side near the chandelier wasn't cut, it seemed to be cut from near the end of the cord, where the still not found winch bracket was. As the cord got closer to Saya's hands, it became stained with blood. "It looks like a clean cut like it was sliced." She said, running her fingers along the bundles of rope. "And the rope itself has blood on it… Was someone else wounded, or did Surumi's blood travel this far?" she asked

"Well, that's the thing… nobody else said they were hurt or anything, so maybe it was just Surumi." Izumi contended. "So… we found the end of the cable, now what?" Izumi asked instead.

"Find where the winch is, and see where in the room it would be, and it's ease of access from the ground floor, I'll be searching the floor for any objects that I can find," Saya explained.

"Objects?" Izumi asked, looking at the red curtains of the stage, which seemed to be hanging off by a few rings like it was roughly pulled to one side.

"I heard something fall a couple of seconds before the chandelier dropped. I want to see if I can find what would make a metallic sound like what I heard." Saya explained.

"Alright, I'll shout when I find the winch," Izumi said, climbing up onto the stage and behind the curtains as Saya began to search the floor. There was blood everywhere, but a gap where Junichi's body landed on the floor, right next to it appeared to be something blue, but she was too far away, and too nearsighted to see what it was right away. Saya walked at the speed her heels would carry her until she reached down to pick up the object in her hands.

It appeared to be some kind of large blue keychain, Saya didn't know what it was called, but she had seen it in school multiple times before to secure objects together, climbers would use a larger one to secure a safety rope to another safety rope.

"Shit, that's a carabiner, right?" Yuuto spoke up, walking past the rest of the students who were back against the wall to not interfere in Saya's investigation. "I saw a couple of those in the store."

"Is that what they call it?" Saya said, pushing her thumb against the spring, opening the carabiner to see how it worked. She would need to put something in it, then let go of the spring to secure it in the metal loop. "This was dropped from the ceiling… Akada, do you see any way for a culprit to rappel from the roof somewhere?"

"Are you asking to see if I can find any climbing mounts on the roof somewhere?"

"...Dude, the roof is like 30 feet up, there's no way to tell if there are mounts up there." Yuuto replied to Rokuro, who was approaching after him.

"I can tell if I climbed it," Rokuro said.

"You're… going climb the walls?" Saya asked, befuddled.

"You think I can't do it!? I have the grip strength to hold two of me. I can climb this dinky ass wall and check the ceiling out for ya, Saya!" Rokuro exclaimed.

"...Very well. Check to see if you can find something that would let somebody rappel from the ceiling. I don't know it that would require a mount or some kind of bracket… but anything would help." Saya requested.

Rokuro cracked his knuckles and went to the nearby wall. Saya thought that since it was smooth, he couldn't really climb it, but he began to wedge his fingers against the wall, squeezing any crack or tile he could come across and deadlifted his body into the air. "You think I'm the Ultimate Climber for nothin'!? I can climb anything!" he called as he climbed.

"Well goddamn, I can't do that shit," Yuuto said, shocked as Rokuro climbed up onto one of the ceiling beams, and held his hand up to look at the one across from him that contained the chandelier bracket mount. "Nothin' up here. There's no ropes, hooks, or anything. If someone was up here got down safely without the use of any safety devices." He explained. "That, or nobody was up here in the first place!"

"Saya! I found the winch! I also found some other weird stuff, please, come here!" Izumi shouted across the hall, getting the Class President's attention. Izumi was leaning through the curtain's side, gesturing Saya to come closer as Saya clambered onto the stage, skipping the stairs, and slid back behind the stage.

"What did you find, Igarashi?" Saya inquired.

"Look at the door. It doesn't have a lock on it, but it won't budge. Did someone bar it from the other side?" Izumi asked. Saya tested the door, turning the knob and trying to pull the door. Instead of pulling the door open, it nearly pulled the frame off.

"Something is causing the door to be stuck to the frame. If it were barred with a broom, then I couldn't pull or push it at all. But something is stuck to both the wooden frame, and the door itself…" Saya said, running her fingers along the door until she felt a strange, hard substance near the bottom of the door.

"There we are. Some sort of adhesive. Did the culprit glue the door shut escaping from the room?"

"That doesn't make sense. Everybody was in the room when the lights came back on. I was with Touki, and we stayed in the lounge until the lights went out. Everybody else was already in the room when Surumi got killed…" Izumi pointed out.

"Did anyone come back through the lounge?" Saya pressed further

"I didn't see anybody. If they glued the door shut, they would have to pass through the lounge right? I didn't see anything!" Izumi exclaimed, putting up her hands.

"That's… odd. I wish I knew what this adhesive was… and where they got it."

"I know," came a voice behind the two, slightly startling Izumi. Saya turned to see Airi, standing with a gloved hand in her pocket. "It's an epoxy resin designed to set quickly under specific circumstances."

"How do you know that? Wouldn't that make you suspicious to bring that up?" Saya asked

"If I did it, I wouldn't be bringing this fact up to you. I would have claimed it was a two-part epoxy and that the culprit set it earlier in the day. But that epoxy belongs to me, it was stolen from my lab. And it was used within the very same minute Surumi was killed." Airi began.

"Wait, it was in your lab?" Izumi asked.

"Mhm. I use it seal bedroom doors so kids don't try to escape," Airi explained.

"...Are you _sure_ you're a babysitter?" Izumi asked.

"Absolutely. Why does everyone keep doubting me?" Airi wondered.

"There are several reasons. Now, how does this epoxy resin work? You mentioned specific circumstances," Saya pressed further.

"It's a UV sensitive epoxy resin that can set within seconds if you shine a blacklight on it. It's fast setting and fairly strong, but the two-part epoxy is better in almost every way except setting time. The culprit could splatter the resin on the door earlier in the day. Then shine the light on it to set it instantly." Airi explained, getting down onto one knee to inspect it. "I can't really tell from which side they used the light on. The whole thing has been fully hardened."

"Maybe they used it on both?" Izumi theorized.

"Unlikely. The killer would only need to harden one side to fully seal the door, so it'd be difficult to harden both sides," Airi answered.

"I see…" Saya said, putting her hand to her chin. "You said you found the winch, right Igarashi?"

"Huh? Oh! Right!" Izumi said. She led the Ultimate Class President to the corner of the backstage area, revealing a worm-geared chandelier winch inset into the wall, it was connected to a hand crank to raise, and lower the winch, along with a brake to hold it in place. She pointed to a piece of cable hanging limply from the winch, dangling a few inches from the bare crank.

"So, it was cut from this end, that explains why the cable was so long and nearly ripped the curtain off when the chandelier fell," Saya observed.

"It's weird, the chandelier winch usually burrows the cable into the wall, up into the ceiling, and doesn't leave a cable dangling everywhere like it did." Izumi pointed out.

"The cable wasn't connected through the wall?" Saya asked.

"I remember it earlier, the chandelier was connected to the winch directly, not put through a wall or anything. It was kind of like a tightrope, the tension in the winch was one of the things holding it up. Who would do it like that?" Izumi wondered.

"I'm lazy, that's all " Monokuma announced, standing on a grand piano that was backstage. "Wiring the cord up through the wall and the ceiling to hide the cord for aesthetic reasons? Forget that! I could connect the winch to the chandelier and save a load of time!"

"That's kind of… trashy for a high-class hotel, don't you think?" Izumi asked.

"Did I say this was a high-class hotel? Shut up. We had to remodel this whole thing for you losers!" Monokuma raved.

"That means it probably didn't have a failsafe. That's probably several JISHA violations right there," Izumi assessed.

"I'm trying to get you to kill each other, why would I install safety mechanisms for any reason whatsoever? Do you want everything wrapped in bubble wrap, too?" Monokuma taunted.

"He raises a good point, frustratingly…" Saya said, shaking her head. "I have to admit, I'm surprised you know so much about chandeliers and chandelier safety, Igarashi."

"My dad was kind of a control freak about every aspect of his image and restaurant. I uhh... I got the crash course on a lot of things I didn't think I needed to know." Izumi explained.

"I see… so, we have a door sealed with epoxy and a poorly-built winch with a cut cable. Both things would imply that the killer cut and run, but with your testimony that nobody left the room during the murder… I'm not sure what to think." Saya said, sinking into deep thought.

"You think there's more to it?" Izumi asked.

"Yes, but I don't know exactly where to find what I'd be looking for," Saya said, eyes tightening shut as she continued to wrack her brain.

"...Maybe there's something beyond the door?" Izumi suggested.

"Maybe, but we can't get through the door…" Saya said, shaking her head.

And I'm not planning on breaking the door down, maybe we can check the map to see if this room has another entrance." Airi said.

Saya pulled up the map on her student handbook, revealing the layout of the floor. There was indeed two entrances to the room that was barricaded, but the catch was, it wasn't accessible from this side of the dining hall. They would need to return to the elevator, and return in an alternate elevator to head down the opposite hall of the floor. Saya nodded and headed off for the elevator.


	16. Chapter 1 - Deadly Life 2

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Deadly Life 2)

"Junichi, Junichi! Calm down, please!" Koba shouted as he grabbed Junichi by his shoulders and shook him. Junichi was currently scream-crying in a corner, out of terror and despair. The only sound coming from him was panicked hyperventilating.

"Junichi, slow breaths. Come on…" Koba said, getting no response. "C-count to five when you inhale! Only breathe out after five, c'mon. I know you can do it..."

Junichi could barely hear Koba over his own screams. He couldn't get the sight of Surumi's mangled body out of his head. The bitter copper smell of blood enveloped his nostrils and his eyes were burning with tears. "Come on, Junichi! Count to five!" Koba yelled. Junichi took in a deep breath, counting to five in his head before exhaling. "There ya go. Slow and steady. Just breathe. Talk to me, Junichi…"

"S-Surumi! Koba, s-she's-" Junichi sputtered out, voice cracking.

"Just breathe, Junichi. Just… We need to figure out what happened," Koba said calmly. "This wasn't an accident, we have to find out who killed her. When you're ready to talk, tell me what happened before the lights went out."

"O-Okay… okay… where do I start?" Junichi said, rubbing his sleeve on his eyes.

"Let's try when you entered the banquet, What do you remember?" Koba asked.

"When I got in, I… I remember hanging out with Touki. Getting a drink with Surumi and getting some finger sandwiches… I think I had to get a sandwich for Rinne… turkey bacon and cheese with hot sauce…" Junichi said, wracking his brain as Koba nodded.

"You talked to Surumi and then she began walking on her hands, right?" Koba asked

"That happened? ...Oh yeah, that did happen. She said she was some kind of spider creature and wanted to show me how balanced she was," Junichi said, suddenly shaking his head. "No wait, she didn't say she was a spider. She said she was born _under_ the Spider."

"...Under the spider?" Koba asked.

"Y-yeah. She was explaining her constellation system. People being born under different stars, ya know, astrology stuff." Junichi said, still shaking as he leaned against the wall. "She said people born under the Spider were creative and graceful. She wore the constellations on her arms…"

"So she demonstrated her balance by walking across the Dining Hall on her hands?"

"Th-that's right. Then she asked if I wanted to know my birth constellation and told me she had to hold my hand…" Junichi replied, sniffling. "That's… that's when the lights went out. Everything was so loud and I lost hold of her… I should've held on… we could've gotten out from under there if we started running… it's all my fault, Koba!" Junichi cried out, the sting of tears returning, as he buried himself into his chest.

"You didn't know what was going to happen next, Junichi," Koba said, giving him a light hug on Junichi's injured frame. "Wait… what's that on your head?" Koba said, Junichi pulling his head up.

"H-huh? Something on my head?" Junichi asked, grabbing his hat off his head. Through blurry eyes, Junichi flipped over his hat to see a slightly wrinkled sticker. "Wait… this is one of Surumi's star stickers! How did this get- Oh yeah! She smacked me in the head the other day!" Junichi exclaimed.

"...Interesting… where did she get these stickers?" Koba asked.

"I gave them to her and she used them to decorate her lab," Junichi explained.

"Hrm... Junichi, remember how I wanted you to be my assistant?" Koba asked.

"Y-yeah… I remember, why?" Junichi wondered.

"Well, I want you to help me investigate Surumi's murder. You in?" he asked, offering a hand.

"I g-guess… just one thing…" Junichi looking down.

"Name it."

"I don't want to go back to the Dining Hall. I can't bear to look…" Junichi said, taking Koba's hand.

"Of course. In fact, I already know a place we can check." Koba said with an understanding nod. He helped Junichi to his feet, turning him toward the elevator.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Koba asked Junichi as the two stepped into the elevator. Junichi took a grip of his chest, squeezing the clothes in his fingers as he tried to maintain his breathing.

"If… if someone made Surumi part of their plot, I want to find out," Junichi said.

"What if it was Surumi's plot?" Koba asked.

"Why would she shove me at the last second if she was trying to kill me?" Junichi pointed out.

"She… shoved you?" 

"Yeah. She let go and then pushed out of the way of the chandelier," Junichi explained, the elevator coming to a stop "Where are we going anyway?"

"Surumi's lab. I want to see if she was coerced somehow into putting you into a deathtrap." Koba explained.

"Alright. So we just gotta check Surumi's lab, right?" Junichi asked.

"Mhm," Koba said as they stopped at the door. "Hrm… ah, I forgot. I don't have a way in."

"You don't?"

"No. In order to access the lab, you need either the owner's student handbook or enter their birthday into the keypad as a four-digit password," Koba said. Junichi blinked before suddenly walking over to the keypad. He typed in 0528, getting an affirmative beep. "Ah, right. Surumi told you her birthday."

"Yep. May 28th," Junichi replied, opening the door to the lab. He stood at the doorway, trying to work up the strength before finally stepping back inside. He didn't really look at the rest of the lab besides following what Surumi was doing the other day. So he decided to start with the desks and shelves of the room since he knew where she got the stickers from; from him.

First was a desk with various star charts folded up onto it, along with a notepad with a few papers torn off, and an ink pen sitting next to it. There was also a cup with several colored pencils in it sitting right next to it.

"Do you think the culprit wrote her a note?" Koba asked, scratching his chin.

"No… I think she was drawing constellations with it." Junichi said. "Something similar to what she did when she was still trapped in her hotel room, I guess."

"That's what you know, but I'm asking what if it was possible the culprit gave her a note that gave her instructions on how to kill you?"

"No, she wouldn't," Junichi said, feeling a tingle on the back of his neck and feeling his breath catch. He wasn't angry at what Koba said, just a touch offended at what he was implying.

"Junichi, the truth is… I think most of us only know what other people have told us about themselves so far. Do you really know Surumi enough to tell that she was being cornered by someone and wouldn't tell you, because she didn't want you to worry about it with your injury?" Koba pushed further with his line of questioning.

"I… You can't just- that's not-" Junichi stammered out, trying to find a response.

"And after what happened to your mom? I assume you told her as well. Lies don't have to be words. Lies can be an omission, too." Koba continued. "Leaving something out? That's a lie. It's something you have to think about since we're nothing but strangers, trapped together." 

"I… you…" Junichi said, feeling his face heat up.

"I'm not trying to attack you, Junichi. But you need to keep every possibility in mind. If something could happen, then it isn't impossible, no matter how improbable it seems to be." Koba said calmly. "A good detective has to consider all of those possibilities and then eliminate them. My assumption of Surumi's culpability isn't the only narrative I'm following but I can't just reject it out of hand. Especially because someone doesn't want to consider it to be true, because it affects their perception of them,"

"Y-you didn't know her! You barely talked to her, so you can't just assume-" Junichi said, voice raised.

"No, I didn't. And I can tell this has been difficult for you… damn it, this is the scratched pocket watch. I was hoping to avoid that…" Koba said, Junichi suddenly blinking in confusion.

"Scratched pocket watch?" Junichi asked.

"In The Sign of the Four, Sherlock analyzes a damaged pocket watch in Watson's possession. Through it, he deduces a great deal about Watson's brother, including things like his alcoholism. Watson gets offended and tells Holmes off for it.," Koba explained. "Sorry, Junichi. I try to be more considerate of other people's feelings during cases, but I think the nature of this Killing Suite is making me focus too much on getting things right. I'll try not to bring up my theories on Surumi's involvement if it helps. Deal?" he asked, offering a hand for Junichi to shake. Junichi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"Sure. Sorry about the attitude. Just… it still hurts, ya know?" Junichi said, shaking Koba's hand.

"I know. Just… Can you check if Surumi's notepad has any writing on any of the pages?" Koba asked, mindful to not say anything that would upset Junichi.

"Got it," he said, flipping through the notepad. Sadly, all the pages with writing in it were ripped out, leaving only the slight indents of a pen pressed against paper showing that it had been written in. "Nothing. Someone wrote in it, but all the pages that were written in were torn out and thrown away." Junichi answered. Koba walked over and grabbed one of the darker colored pencils from the cup, pulling out an indigo one that seemed to be sharpened recently.

"Here, lemme try an old detective's trick," Koba said as he gently gripped onto the end of the pencil, and lightly began to scribble back and forth to give the top paper a light shading of the pigment. "If I press too hard, this won't work. So I need to give this some finesse, first…" He said, shading in the paper once, and then twice.

Junichi watched as soon the entire paper was covered. "There. Now, let's see if this comes out legible…" Koba said as he and Junichi looked over the purple paper. The indents where the lightly pressed shading was uncolored, revealing words written on it.

_Place one of the stickers on Junichi's hat. - K_

_2:50 - K_

"K…?" Junichi asked, giving a skeptical glance to Koba.

"That could be several people, be it last names, first names..."

"Sure, but… Koba."

"Koba, Kiruma, Katsuya, Kudo, Kakihara," Koba counted on each hand. "So, that leaves us with four potential suspects-"

"Five," Junichi said.

"Junichi, why would I investigate a murder I committed?" Koba asked.

"This could be a fake investigation to get my trust, Mr. Ultimate Detective," Junichi countered. "Hell, you were the one who saw the star on my head."

"And? Koba said.

"Well, how did no one else notice the sticker? Are you telling me that no one would notice I have a sticker stuck to my hat for a whole day? You guys don't even know if I changed my hat from yesterday to today. Why would there be two stickers on two hats?"

"Well, are you?"

"What?"

"Are you wearing the same hat as yesterday?"

"...I am. But that's not the point."

"Not trusting anybody is how Monokuma wants us to screw up and vote for the wrong culprit, Junichi. I took you with me because I want to trust you, not that I want to lead you along." Koba said reassuringly.

"...Okay, so we have K telling Surumi to put a star on my head. Why?" Junichi asked. "And what about 2:50?"

"I think it might have to do with the nature of the sticker. They somehow knew it glows in the dark, and that would be the reason they would shut off the lights." Koba explained. "As for 2:50… I'm not entirely sure…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Junichi asked. "I mean, you're the Ultimate Detective, right?"

"I'm putting together the pieces. Despite what a lot of tv and movies will tell you, a detective isn't a psychic. We can certainly learn a lot through observation, but without a good throughline, all the clues just become a scattered mess of random information…" Koba said, rubbing his chin. "I think we'll need to check the rest of the lab. See what else we can find."

Junichi picked up a nearby carabiner that seemed out of place compared to the space almanacs and fake star charts placed on the desk. It was red and seemed familiar despite the one he had gotten out of the MonoMono Machine being blue. Koba walked over to the bookshelf, looking it over and finding something.

"Ah, I was wondering where that would be," Koba said, Junichi turning his head to face him.

"What did you find?" Junichi asked.

"Surumi's DVD player. Which means if my assumption is correct…" Koba said, putting the DVD player on the table and opening the disc tray. Inside was a blank disc with Surumi's name written on it in black marker. "Surumi's motive disc."

"Wait, but she said that..." Junichi said, feeling his words stop in his throat.

"That she didn't watch the disc?" Koba finished for him. Junichi nodded. "She probably said that because you had watched yours and she could see your pain and didn't want you to burden yourself with her own troubles." he assessed. Koba reloaded the disc tray.

"..Should we? I… I don't know." Junichi said nervously.

"We have to be thorough in an investigation. No stone unturned," Koba said. "I'm certain that the punishment Monokuma listed on the regulations is going to be grim if we get the culprit wrong, to say the least."

"Alright…" Junichi said, turning on the laptop.

Junichi had a hard time swallowing his spit as he waited for the DVD to spin up and the video to get ready. The video started with Monokuma in a dark room, looking over some papers.

"Ah yes, Surumi Takeuchi. Left at the doorstep of an orphanage at a young age. This here DVD and motive video is for you! You see, you may never have been able to find your home planet, little alien, but I found something you've wanted for years and could never hope to find." Monokuma said, flipping over the papers until he turned a pair over to face the screen.

The files took up the screen, photos of a man with short dark-brown hair that had been combed back with orange-brown eyes and a woman with long auburn hair and green eyes. "Your real parents! I found them and I've got them somewhere nice and cozy just waiting to see their baby girl again! Heh heh heh heh…" Monokuma chuckled that grim chuckle for a bit. "They divorced and both didn't want a kid. So instead of taking responsibility like adults, they just dumped you off in an orphanage and went their separate ways! After all, she had to see the baby through to save her reputation with her coworkers, And he had to not raise it to save his money! What selfish people."

"But maybe if they know their little dumpster baby turned out to be a highly-renowned astronomer and an Ultimate Student, they might just want you back! Or maybe you could do a little… family bonding. Ruahahaha~" Monokuma said, cackling madly as the familiar words filled the screen in blinding red.

**KILL TO ESCAPE, SURUMI**

Junichi felt a wave of anger hit him as the video cut out. "Those… bastards…" Junichi choked out. "They didn't even… they just didn't want her… There wasn't even excuse. Those bastards… They're why she was here…"

Koba put a hand on Junichi's shoulder. "Do… do you think that would have caused her to become susceptible to coercion?"

Junichi wanted to say no, but he had seen his own video and he started to wonder if he would've said no to an offer to escape if handed to him. Junichi took a deep breath. "Maybe… but there's gotta be more to this case, right?"

"Right. We have to keep investigating. I think we've seen everything of note in here. Sorry for putting you through this…" Koba said. "I… I thought maybe you might know best about her, and you would be the key to this whole thing."

"Nah, it's fine. Rip the bandage off, right?" Junichi said, shrugging off Koba's hand. "We got a few clues, right?" Junichi replied.

"Yeah…" Koba said, turning for the open doorway to see Izumi standing there with Yuuto. "Izumi? Yuuto? What brings you here?'

"Saya had asked me to bring you to her. She wants to meet you in the laundry room; apparently, she's found something while we were heading to the other side of a locked-off room."

"She's found something?" Junichi asked.

"Mhm. She said she wanted to explain it to you in person, so she didn't say anything to me. Something about not wanting me to misinterpret her words," Izumi said.

"You sure you're in a position that she actually respects?" Yuuto asked. "Why the fuck was I following you guys again?"

"I probably would've forgotten the details on the way, and you just sorta followed me because you wanted to eat more mini hotdogs without being at the murder scene."

"You make me sound like a terrible person, Izumi. Not cool," Yuuto objected. "What's evil 'bout liking mini hotdogs?" he asked, Izumi sighing and pinching her forehead.

"Lead the way, Izumi," Koba said. Izumi nodded and headed off toward the elevator. Yuuto shrugged and followed after her, Koba and Junichi joining up with them.

"So, sounds like we got our next clue," Junichi said.

"Mhm. Hopefully, we'll have enough time to cover all our bases before the trial starts," Koba said as Izumi pressed the button to send them down to the 19th floor.

"I don't know man, besides that argument, I think we're making good pace."

"Saya already explored most of the murder scene, so now we just have a few things left to look at and we'd be pretty set up for this, I think," Izumi said as the doors closed.

"Nobody answered my question!" Yuuto shouted as the elevator began its descent, sending them down another floor to the one just above the murder.

"It's a murder scene, you pig! What're you doin' still eating hot dogs!?" Izumi exclaimed.

"I was hungry! And who are you calling a pig?! Look at my ribcage!" Yuuto shouted, pointed to his lower torso. "I'm a skeleton with skin! If I don't keep eating I'll turn into the Cryptkeeper or something."

"And put a shirt on!" Izumi cried. "Why are you so calm about this?!"

"I've seen some shit in the metal scene. Ever heard of a band called Mayhem? The lead singer blew his brains out with a shotgun and his band members made it the album cover! Then they had his skull turned into necklaces for them. And the album STILL slaps!"

"Please tell me you made that up." Junichi said, eyes wide.

"It's true shit, yo," Yuuto said with a straight face. "Then they replaced him with a guy who killed the guitarist and burned a church. It turns out black metal had some fucked up people back in the '90s." he said, ignoring the blanched look on Junichi's and Koba's faces.

"Ahhh! Shut up! Stop talking!" Izumi exclaimed, covering her ears. "Fine! Eat your stupid hot dogs as long as you don't say anything!"

"Yeeeeah!" Yuuto said, pulling a set of mini hotdogs out of his pockets and stuffing them into his mouth.

"Did you have those in your pocket the whole time?" Junichi asked. "Won't they have like... pocket lint on it and stuff?"

"I told ya, I was fuckin' hungry!" Yuuto said between bites.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Izumi cried, Koba sighing in defeat.

"This is gonna be a long investigation…"


	17. Chapter 1 - Deadly Life 3

Chapter 1: This Could Be Anywhere In the World (Deadly Life 3)

Junichi, Izumi, Koba, and a shirtless Yuuto arrived at the floor Saya was currently in when they heard a cacophony that could only be described as a constant buzzing sound filling their ears. "There's that buzzing again. It hurts my ears…" Izumi said, walking out of the elevator first.

"Man, glad I can barely hear it," Yuuto said.

"What does that mean?" Izumi asked.

"I got messed up ears, remember?" Yuuto said, pointing to his hearing aid.

"What the hell makes that kind of noise?" Junichi asked as Koba knocked on the door, quickly responded to by Saya opening the door, the buzzing sound getting loud enough that it began to blare over the talking volume of all the students.

"Ah, Koba! I believe I've found a clue!" Saya shouted over the buzzing.

"What!?" Yuuto shouted, cupping his ear.

"I said I believe-" Saya shouted again.

"TURN THAT OFF!" Junichi yelled as loud as he could. Saya glowered at Junichi before marching back into the laundromat. Each dryer buzzer was going off at the same time, and Junichi went to turn off every single one he could find. "Who in the hell turned all these dryers on!?"

"Our culprit, in fact. They turned the dryers on to blow the circuit board. Each one was running a high heat load." Saya explained, adjusting her glasses.

"...Does that mean all our clothes shrunk in the dryer like those Shrinky Dink sticker things?" Yuuto asked, munching hotdogs as he spoke.

"Where do you get these references?" Izumi asked, befuddled.

"I'm a man of culture," Yuuto said with a shrug.

"So the culprit tripped the breakers… by turning all the dryers on? Wouldn't that take a while?"

"The culprit used a feature these dryers have. You can program them to turn on after a countdown timer is finished, and each one was set to turn on at around the same time." Saya said, pointing to the timer dial being turned to the 45-minute mark, and an LCD display flashing 00:00 on every single one.

"Does it say when they were set to 45 minutes?"

"I can assume when the power went out. There was so much draw it knocked out the lights… Is there a way to check if the breakers in this room and the breakers in the dining hall are the very same ones?" Koba wondered.

"That brings up my next point, do you see a problem with one of these dryers?" Saya asked, pointing to the neat row of dryers lined up on one side of the laundromat, and a row of washers on the opposite wall. One dryer was tilted to the side.

"Why is that one not lined up?" Junichi asked.

"I suggest Koba and Ando inspect the back of that dryer, when I came across it, it was positioned differently than the other ones, and Igarashi can confirm that for me."

"Yeah… That one was like that when we got here, the buzzing made my head spin when I first got up here..." Izumi said.

"So, what do I do?" Yuuto asked as Koba and Junichi checked the back of the dryer.

"Nothing. You do nothing, Yuuto." Izumi said with a frown.

"Hey! I didn't ask you!" Yuuto shouted.

"You do nothing, Hagiwara," Saya said.

"Can you at least find a shirt to wear while you're in here so I don't have to see your weird nipples?" Izumi asked.

"Hey, I got normal nipples! And I'm gonna not wear a shirt out of spite because of that!"

"Ughhh…"

"Nope! You're wearing a shirt, Yuuto!" Monokuma said, throwing a black ball of cloth at him.

"Hey! Don't throw shirts at me!" Yuuto objected.

"I ain't starting the Class Trial until you got a shirt on!"

"Great, more investigation time for us! We win!" Junichi exclaimed. "Keep your shirt off, Yuuto!"

"I didn't think I'd hear you say that, Junichi!" Yuuto exclaimed in joy and confusion.

"W-what!? No! It isn't a win! Fine, you'll all be punished if Yuuto doesn't cover his shame!"

"S-shame!? Hey, guys can go shirtless! It's not like I've got boobies or anything." Yuuto objected.

"I don't want to see your boobies, Yuuto. Put your shirt on!" Monokuma shouted. "Or y'all die!"

"Mrh… fine!" Yuuto said, storming off to put his shirt on.

"Okay… What's behind the dryer, Saya?" Junichi asked.

"This," Saya said, getting onto one knee and pointing to a vent way. The grate was placed over the vent way, but the screws were taken out and placed on the floor. "Someone ripped off this vent way and most likely climbed into it. I need some volunteers to investigate where this goes."

"Why don't you do it?" Junichi asked.

"Me, do that? What do you think I am? I am the Ultimate Class President. I'm not climbing in a vent, Ando." Saya replied.

"Y-yeah. Do you think that's something a girl would do, Junichi?" Izumi asked.

"You're on the list of volunteers, Igarashi. Both men and women are capable of hard work and getting their hands dirty, I'm very firm on equality."

"...Oh," Izumi said sheepishly. Uhh… nose goes!" Izumi shouted, pointing a finger to her nose.

"What did she say?" Junichi asked, looking around.

"Well, it would appear you'll be going in, Ando," Saya said with a shrug.

"Wait, what?" Junichi asked, seeing Koba with his finger on his nose. "You traitor."

"Uhh, sorry. I just didn't want to get last again like back at my old school." Koba said.

"I didn't agree to this 'nose goes' thing! We didn't do that back at my school,"

"Well, you didn't put your finger on your nose," Izumi said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"H-how old are you people!? I thought we were adults!" Junichi shouted in protest.

"You climb in first, Junichi. Rules are rules and we went by nose goes!" Koba countered.

"Fine, I'll climb in, but one of you better go with me in case I get stuck! I'm still injured here and I'm feeling a lack of kindness and sympathy coming from the lot of you," Junichi said.

"Igarashi, go with him," Saya said.

"Wh-what?! Come on! I got my nose first!" Izumi objected. Saya lightly smacked Izumi in the nose with her ruler. "OW! You bapped me!" Izumi cried, grabbing her nose.

"I gave you an order, Igarashi. I will bap you again if you talk back," Saya warned.

Izumi just sighed and got onto her hands in knees in defeat. "Fine, I'll crawl in the stupid vent. C'mon, Junichi. Guess we're both going to be like two guinea pigs today."

Junichi nodded, getting on his knees and following after Izumi. Thankfully, her skirt was very modest, so Junichi didn't have to avert his gaze while climbing behind her. "We've got a left turn coming up, Junichi. Then it starts going down, okay?" Izumi asked.

"Got it," Junichi said. As they crawled through the vent way, Junichi felt something brush against his hand. "W-was that a rat!?" Junichi said, sliding his hand back to check, but the feeling he felt, kind of like a bundle of hair was completely stationary. He pulled back and saw a small clump of brown hair.

"Hair… Someone got their hair snagged down here." Junichi said. "Izumi, do you remember who has brown hair?"

"Huh? Uhh… I think Touki does, but not off the top of my head... Yuuto too, maybe," Izumi said. Junichi pocketed the hair in one of the pockets of his hoodie, before crawling down the slope Izumi spoke of, until Izumi suddenly stopped, making Junichi bump into her.

"Why did you stop?" Junichi asked.

"I found the other grate!" Izumi exclaimed. Izumi pushed a hand on it when suddenly she gasped. The grate falling away from her and ending up with a distant, metallic thud. "W-wait! It fell!"

"The hell was that!?" A distant Rokuro shouted.

"Sorry!" Izumi called. "I didn't think the vent went here of a-all places!" She said, backing up a bit, making Junichi back up as well.

"Hey, where did this vent go? Izumi? Can I look?" Junichi asked, sitting on his knees to take some of the pressure off his only crawling arm. 

"You can, j-just we'd have to squeeze by each other," Izumi said, leaning back to look at him. The vent was narrow, but Junichi possibly could move past her if she pressed her back against one of the sides of the vent.

"Alright, I'm moving up, we'll try to figure this out," Junichi said, awkwardly shuffling past Izumi, who tried to make herself as small as possible so Junichi could head up to the exit of the vent, only to realize as his vision adjusted back to being in the light that he was about 30 feet in the air. "W-Woah… Holy shit, we're high up!"

Junichi looked down at the floor, where a few of the students were, and the scene of the crime. He panned his vision along the ceiling, before finding that up, and to the right, there was the support beam that held up the chandelier mount. "Good lord…" Junichi said, somewhat shocked. He reached his arm out to see if he could grab the support post by the vent, and while his fingers could touch it, he really didn't think he wanted to climb onto it.

"What do you see, Junichi?" Izumi called.

"I found a beam that connects to the chandelier that fell, it looks like it's right around where that fountain was, so it's lined up perfectly to where it fell. I'm not climbing up it, though! Let's go back the other way and talk to Saya and Koba." Junichi called back.

Izumi nodded and began to shuffle back out of the vent, Junichi following after her. "Hey, don't look at my butt, alright?" Junichi said.

"I wasn't looking anyway, but okay I guess," Izumi said, looking behind her as she shuffled backward.

The two soon crawled out of the vent way. "So, what did you find?" Saya asked.

"The vent leads to the dining hall ceiling. There's a beam that connects to the fallen chandelier by the fountain," Junichi explained. "It lines up where the chandelier dropped."

"I see… Well, we have one last thing we need to see. What was on the other side of the sealed door backstage back in the dining hall."

"What about the breakers?" Izumi asked.

"Koba and I checked those while you were in the vent. We had Hagiwara check if the lights in the dining hall went out when we flicked the switch."

"Were we in the vent that long?" Izumi wondered.

"You were crawling and Ando is injured. Obviously, you were in the vent for a while." Saya said.

"Ah, right… so, how do we get to the other side of the door?" Izumi asked.

"We take the alternate elevator down to the floor with the dining hall, which leads to a different hallway and the other entrance to that room," Saya explained.

"Wait, there's an alternate elevator?" Junichi asked.

"Mhm. I think there's two every floor from each side." Koba said. "Lead the way, Saya."

Saya nodded and headed out of the laundromat, leading the other three students to the alternate elevator. They headed down into a section of the hotel Junichi hadn't seen yet; a staging room for the dining hall with costumes and props scattered around the room. However, what drew Saya's eye was on the table.

She walked over, picking up a switchblade on the table. "Any idea of where this came from?" Saya asked.

The switchblade had a slightly purple tint to the steel of the knife, appearing like it was coated with patination, along with a carbon plastic handle. "It's a pretty pricey knife from the looks of it," Junichi said. "Do you know a lot about knives being a cook, Izumi?"

"No, that's not a knife a chef would use. That's a kind of pocket knife… I wouldn't know who it belonged to, though."

"There are some possibilities, but none who I can be certain of without discussing it with them," Koba said.

_Ding Dong, Bing Bong!_

"Sheesh! Does everything you losers do have to take like three times as long? The last kids would've been a third-way into the trial by now!" Monokuma complained on a nearby monitor. "All your nonsense about hotdogs and morality and washing machines… It's tedious!" Monokuma said, throwing his glass of wine he was holding over the back of his head, breaking off-screen somewhere."I un-jimmied the door back into the dining hall. Everybody come in and wait for the dramatic trial elevator thingy!"

"So, guess it's time for the trial, right?" Junichi asked.

"Sounds like it…" Koba said, opening the door to the stage. The students headed off the stage to meet up with the others at the dining hall. Junichi focused his eyes away from the crime scene, looking around to see who was still in the dining hall.

Daichi was in a corner, avoiding the others still. Airi sitting with Chiwa, having finally calmed her down. Touki was writing down notes onto a notepad while Rokuro crouched by the Monokuma statue. Asana was trying to comfort a shaking Miyuki, whose eyes were darting around other students. Yuuto was complaining to Sora about his new shirt, which had **IDIOT** written on it in large white lettering. Finally, Rinne was sitting in wait. "So, you guys got an idea who the culprit is?"

"Not yet. I don't think we found anything conclusive, just a bunch of random facts put together." Koba said with a shake of his head.

"Guess we're gonna need to piece it all together in the class trial," Rinne said when the room began to shake.

"Wh-what now?!" Miyuki exclaimed. The hardwood floor opened up to reveal a platform that was beside the Monokuma statue near the entrance. "Did the floor just open up!?"

The elevator opened, Monokuma standing in a bellhop's uniform. "Everyone into the Trial Elevator!"

"How many elevators do you have?!" Izumi asked.

"Enough," Monokuma said. "Now get onto the platform, keep your hands and legs near yourself at all times. Be sure to be uncomfortable on the slow ride down to the class trial!" he announced as everyone slowly stepped into the elevator. Junichi walked to the back of the elevator, where Asana was leaning back in wait.

"Hey, Asana. Did you see me wearing a star on my head?" Junichi asked.

"Huh?" Asana asked, looking at Junichi.

"Like… did you see a glowing star on my beanie at some point today, or yesterday?" he elaborated.

"Oh, yeah. I just thought you were trying to change your style up a bit. I saw you with that pin on your hat and thought the star was a part of it."

"Oh, yeah that makes sense... " Junichi said.

"You nervous about this trial?" Asana asked.

"Yeah, I don't know what to do about all of this.I've never had to do anything like this…" Junichi said with a sigh. "Man, I didn't even have to do jury duty or anything like this before. The worst I got was one time I got accused of stealing some chocolate truffles from this rich girl…"

"Hrm… I dunno much about court but I do have a story to tell you. You ever see my fight against Erika Fuyuki?"

"Ah… no, sorry." Junichi said. "Must've been on pay per view or something and I'm the broke kid of the group at school."

"Well, as soon as the bell rang for the first round, I grabbed Erika by the face and kissed her right on the lips," Asana said. "She was so stunned that she was open for a back fist."

"..Of all the things you did, why kiss her on the lips?" Junichi asked.

"Because she wouldn't see it coming! She thinks I'm gonna go win with a knee strike or a takedown, but then I slip her some tongue! And it worked like a charm!"

"Uhh…"

"Y'see, there's something about the human mind you learn about by being in a battle. The very first milliseconds' someone reacts to something is their true self, their instincts! That's the very truth of their body reacting before their mind can even come up with what they're supposed to do." Asana explained her hands on her hips. "So it's how you can catch liars. The truth isn't in their instincts, so they react differently than they should! Then, a millisecond later, their brain thinks 'oh shit, I need to come up with a game plan!' that hesitation, that unsureness… that's the best time to strike." she said, thumbing her lower lip with a grin.

"So… I gotta catch the culprit off-guard?" Junichi asked, slowly nodding his head.

"You just want that moment where they realize the game is up and have to come up with their fake emotions," Asana explained.

"And that's when I strike?" Junichi asked.

"Yup! This is your quarry, Red. I know ya liked that alien girl, so whup their ass at the trial, alright?"

"Got it. Thanks, Asana."

"No problem," Asana said patting Junichi on the back. Junichi turned to look at everyone else. There was no light, except for the passing lights that briefly illuminated all their faces as it continued to go lower and lower in the building.

One of these people was a murderer, and all the bets were on the table to figure out who it was.

That bet, being their lives.

_The curtains rise on the first Class Trial_


	18. THE FIRST MURDER TRIAL

**CLASS TRIAL! ALL RISE!**

_The students were taken to what could be called the 'trial room' on floor one. The ground had a green felt across the entire thing, emblazoned with white stripes, and the four suits of a deck of cards. There was a circle of podiums that were raised, and stylized like a roulette wheel with alternating black and red floors, with gaudy gold courtroom podiums on each one. One podium had a picture of Surumi, with her face marked off with an X. Junichi was stood across from Katsuya, who had his arms folded, while Koba was on Junichi's left and Touki to his right. Saya saw that she was across from Koba, with Izumi on her left and Chiwa on her right._

_Monokuma was sitting on a throne, slouched across it poorly with a huge television screen sitting just beside him. As Junichi climbed onto the podium, it had four directional arrows and a big red button on it as well._

**Monokuma:** Oooh, I'm so giddy~ We're finally here after so long! Let's start with the basic rules of the class trial.

**Monokuma Cont'd:** During the trial, you will be presenting your arguments over a simple question of 'Whodunnit'? At the end of the trial, or the end of the countdown monitor placed to my side, a vote will be called. In the event that there is an impasse, the Non-Stop Debate button on your podium can be pressed, allowing for an argument that can only be stopped when a student presents the correct Truth Bullet using the Truth Bullets button.

**Monokuma Cont'd: **If the majority is successful in voting for the correct student, the Blackened will be punished. But, if you vote for the wrong one? All students besides the blackened will be punished instead, which will result in the Blackened graduating the school and escaping back to the outside world.

**Monokuma Cont'd:** If you refuse to vote, you will be dealt with. As in… You'll die. So remember to vote, everybody! So, let's get this-

**Junichi Ando:** I did it!

**Monokuma:** ...Well, that's a way to get things going...

**Katsuya Suba:** W-what!?

**Junichi Ando:** HA! GOT HIM! YOU DID IT! _(Junichi shouted, wildly pointing at Katsuya.)_

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** What the fuck was that!?

**Touki Minami:** Bro, you're not for real here, are you?!

**Izumi Igarashi:** Ah! N-no, he couldn't have…

**Saya Kiruma:** Very well, I guess that means we can start the vote.

**Junichi Ando:** Huh? W-wait a second. That wasn't wh-

**Katsuya Suba:** Agreed.

**Daichi Kakihara:** You fuckin' dumbass …

**Junichi Ando:** I didn't-

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Sh-shut up, murderer! You're not getting away with this!

**Junichi Ando:** Miyuki, hold up. I-

**Asana Nanashima:** Red, what the hell was that!?

**Chiwa Ohara:** It was a confession!

**Airi Kudo:** I'm rather surprised at how quickly he did that…

**Junichi Ando:** Uhh… Koba? Bail me out here? You know I didn't do it. Say something smart, man!

**Koba Tsujishi:** I… Junichi… why did you do that? How do I even defend that?

**Junichi Ando:** I was trying to surprise the culprit! It's like Asana told me!

**Asana Nanashima:** Junichi, just because I told you to take them by surprise doesn't mean you start pissing your pants, dude! What's your encore? Punching yourself in the face over and over again?!

**Junichi Ando:** Oh my god I think I just killed all of us…_(Junichi buried his face in his hat)_

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Stop trying to hide your head in your beanie like a turtle, you criminal!

**Koba Tsujishi:** Look, Junichi may be an idiot, but he isn't the culprit.

**Chiwa Ohara:** But he said he did it! Me and Socrates heard it! And Socrates has great hearing! Why wouldn't we vote on him?

**Koba Tsujishi:** Well… How about we just ignore Junichi until he seems actually suspicious. Monokuma, what do we usually do in these trials? Do we take turns? What are we going to be discussing?

**Junichi Ando:** Well-

**Sora Hitose:** Don't dig yourself deeper, Junichi. Stop talking.

**Koba Tsujishi:** Let's all agree that Junichi was just being stupid and ignore everything he has to say, for now anyway.

**Junichi Ando:** But-

**Touki Minami:** Look, bro, this is for your own good. Just shut up and let us dig you out of your own hole.

**Junichi Ando:** Fine! Whatever. See if I care.

**Monokuma:** Well… Nobody really -takes- turns per se. You all argue at once typically. Some music plays and you all shout, and if you think someone's wrong, you slap the button and everybody has to shut up so you can make your point, or point out a flaw in someone's argument. It's pretty freeform.

**Monokuma Cont'd:** Typically you'd shout a catchphrase or something. That way people know who has something to say and you won't confuse voices.

**Sora Hitose:** Is "I did it" Junichi's catchphrase?

**Junichi Ando:** Shut up, Sora.

**Izumi Igarashi:** Don't talk to TAIGA that way!

**Sora Hitose:** Hrmrmrh…

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** So… what are we gotta talk about?

**Koba Tsujishi:** Let's start with the murder weapon…

**Daichi Kakihara:** You mean the fact that a whole goddamn chandelier got dropped on the bitch?

**Rinne Takayanagi:** I mean… It couldn't have been something else, could it? That thing was huge and bourgeois as hell. What was it, like 9 feet across and made of nothing but metal and glass?

**Monokuma:** It really tied the dining hall together…

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** So, what's the question? Did you want us to debate what fell was a chandelier or not?

**Koba Tsujishi:** It was to partially put everyone on the same page, that we all agreed that this was the murder weapon. But it will serve to purposes.

**Koba Tsujishi Cont'd:** It's us agreeing how the chandelier was _utilized _in the murder. How a lighting fixture could be used as a murder weapon and the methods as to how it dropped on Surumi.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** We're saved! Someone actually knows wh-what they're doing!

(Debate Starts)

**Saya Kiruma:** So, the question is how the chandelier was used… to murder Surumi.

**Rokuro Akada:** Maybe the killer clubbed her with it!

**Daichi Kakihara:** You fucking idiot, the killer DROPPED THE WHOLE GODDAMN THING on her!

**Asana Nanashima:** Does that mean they threw it, or something?

**Izumi Igarashi:** No, I'm pretty sure they dropped it. Remember, the whole thing is suspended by a cord.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Alright, so they cut the cord from the ceiling, then!

**Saya Kiruma: I will cut through your delusions!  
**

_(Debate Stops)_

**Saya Kiruma:** The cord wasn't cut from the ceiling, if it were, the cable hanging from the chandelier after it was cut would be short.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Well, where else could you cut a chandelier? Don't they hang from the ceiling?

**Saya Kiruma:** There's an explanation for that. Tell them, Igarashi.

**Izumi Igarashi:** ...Wait, why do I have to tell them? Can't you just tell them yourself?

**Saya Kiruma:** … _(Holds up her yardstick, glaring to Izumi)_

**Izumi Igarashi:** Uhh… What did you want me to tell them?

**Saya Kiruma:** You should know, so tell them, Igarashi.

**Izumi Igarashi:** I… I can't read your mind! What did you want me to tell them!?

**Saya Kiruma:** About the winch cable, Igarashi! Have you not been paying attention!? You were investigating at the same time I was! You followed me the whole time!

**Junichi Ando:** _(wincing)_ Ooh…

**Izumi Igarashi:** YOU WANT ME TO TELL 'EM SAYA!?

**Saya Kiruma:** …

**Izumi Igarashi:** _(As fast as she could)_ The cable was cut at the winch and not at the roof. That means it was cut from the floor. Are you happy now!? ARE YOU!?

**Saya Kiruma:** I guess that'll suffice...

**Izumi Igarashi:** _(Panting)_ Never ask me to talk for you again! LEAVE ME ALONE!

**Sora Hitose:** The chandelier had a winch? Why isn't it just connected to the ceiling?

**Izumi Igarashi:** Most chandel- Oh screw it, I don't want to do this right now…

**Saya Kiruma:** _(Sighs)_ I guess I'll have to explain it, then.

**Chiwa Ohara:** ...Y-you broke Izumi. How did you do that?

**Saya Kiruma:** I assume the murder is having an adverse effect on her personality, but as I'm not a psychologist, I can't make a proper assessment. Anyway...

**Saya Kiruma Cont'd:** The chandelier was connected to a winch on the floor, behind the curtain of the stage. It's a worm screw cable that you can release to lower and raise the chandelier for maintenance. If it was just connected to the roof, it'd fall to the floor every time you wanted to fix it or change a lightbulb.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** "Ah damn it, a power cable went out. Time to drop the 1000 pound chandelier on the floor, look out below!"

**Koba Tsujishi:** Something like that, yes...

**Saya Kiruma:** The culprit sliced through the cable near the winch. I assume it has a governor or some kind of slowing mechanism on it to prevent what happened to Surumi, they would have released it instead of cutting it, if that was the case.

**Rokuro Akada:** ...There's a chandelier governor? Why didn't anybody tell him!?

**Saya Kiruma:** _(putting her head in her hand)_ ...Good lord, I'm surrounded by idiots.

**Koba Tsujishi:** A governor is used to slow down something that has the potential to go faster than what would be safe. They use a governor to make sure that music boxes are playing music at the right speed since it's actually spring-loaded.

**Rokuro Akada:** Oh… I knew that! I was just testing you! Good job, you passed!

**Koba Tsujishi:** Uhh, okay.

**Touki Minami:** So, somebody cut the winch cable and that caused the whole thing to drop?

**Saya Kiruma:** Igarashi…

**Izumi Igarashi:** NO!

**Saya Kiruma:** Igarashi, you are well aware of my-

**Izumi Igarashi:** We're solving a murder, Saya! Just talk to Touki!

**Touki Minami:** Man you're still doing that even after someone died horribly. has anybody ever told you that you're kind of a jerk, Saya?

**Saya Kiruma:** Igarashi, tell Minami that-

**Izumi Igarashi:** Tell him yourself, Saya!

**Saya Kiruma:** …

**Daichi Kakihara:** Holy shit how stubborn are you bitches!? We're solving a murder, not running a circus. Now put up or shut up!

**Koba Tsujishi:** It pains me to say it but I have to agree with Daichi. This whole thing seems… unhelpful.

**Touki Minami:** And petty!

**Saya Kiruma:** ...Chiwa.

**Chiwa Ohara:** Yes, Minami. That's the current conclusion we've reached and also, shut up.

**Touki Minami:** I'm not gonna be schooled by a twelve-year-old, watch your mouth, ya brat!

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** So who cut the chandelier? They're the killer, right?

**Asana Nanashima:** Yeah, but no one saw them do it. It was pitch black!

**Airi Kudo:** Well, that leads us to the questions of how they cut the cord, who turned off the lights and who was positioned to cut the cord…

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Positioned to cut the cord?

**Airi Kudo:** Do you know how long the lights were out? It wasn't a lot of time, I'm pretty sure if we heard someone running, we'd hear their footsteps hitting the ground with substantial impact.

**Monokuma:** The lights were out for about 15 seconds before the murder happened! Didn't need to point that out, but hey. Fun facts are fun!

**Sora Hitose:** Fifteen seconds? They cut the cable in Fifteen seconds?!

**Saya Kiruma:** Nobody heard running?

**Airi Kudo:** I can be certain nobody near me ran. If the lights were out for that brief of a time, and nobody ran, they would have to approach the winch with care. They were at or walked to the winch. So I'd say they'd have to be within 25 feet of the winch when the power went out. If they were traveling at 2.5 miles per hour, that'd be how fast they could walk in 10 seconds, the remaining five most likely slicing the cord.

**Chiwa Ohara:** It was hard to hear anything through all the shouting.

**Izumi Igarashi:** It's not like I remember the exact distance I was away from that cord… how would anyone remember where we were all standing when the lights went out?

**Airi Kudo:** Don't worry, I was prepared for this situation. (_She held up a piece of paper with a crudely drawn recreation of the dining hall)_

**Chiwa Ohara:** ...Are those crayons?

**Airi Kudo:** It's all I could find. You see, I have an eidetic memory, and can remember where most people were just before the lights went out, from my position. It's how I remember all the various instructions and guidelines for children I watch.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Uhhhh… Okay. That's weird but I get it.

**Katsuya Suba:** All of the people, or most?

**Airi Kudo:** Just most, if I didn't see them when the lights went out, then their position on this map is kind of moot.

**Izumi Igarashi:** And you can be sure that the map is accurate?

**Airi Kudo:** How about I confirm with each one of you where I saw you when the lights went out, and see how accurate I am?

**Saya Kiruma:** Very well. Go through the 15 other students and where you last remember them.

(_Airi nods and points to names on her makeshift map)_

**Airi Kudo:** Asana and Miyuki were at the food table, as were you and Chiwa. Koba was still stuffing his face with cheese and crackers.

**Rinne Takayanagi:** Really, Koba. Was that all you ate?

**Koba Tsujishi:** (_Shrugs_) I like cheese crackers. Don't judge me.

**Airi Kudo:** Yuuto was at the drink table with Sora and didn't have a shirt on.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Yeah! And now I have a shirt with "Idiot" on it! That's not much better!

**Monokuma:** I'm not letting you do a class trial shirtless, you pervert.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Why did you give me the idiot shirt, then?!

**Monokuma:** Because you're an idiot.

**Sora Hitose:** You kind of walked into that one, Yuuto.

**Airi Kudo:** Surumi just got done walking on her hands in front of Junichi, and lead him to the front of the fountain. Rinne was also at the drinks table, trying to mix Red Riot, Blue Blast and Green Growler.

**Rinne Takayanagi:** Man, you even know the punch names. Impressive.

**Airi Kudo:** Thank you. Also, I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about Green Growler.

**Rinne Takayanagi:** That mixed punch was a bad idea. It just tasted like sugar and misery.

**Chiwa Ohara:** What does misery taste like?

**Rinne Takayanagi:** It varies on the situation.

**Airi Kudo:** Rokuro was exercising and drinking fountain water. Daichi was in the corner with his middle finger pointed at anyone he could see.

**Daichi Kakihara:** (_grumbles_) Can't get a fuckin' smoke in this shithole…

**Airi Kudo:** Katsuya was by the stage, watching everyone while sharpening his knife. The only ones not in the room when the lights went out were Izumi and Touki. Though, the last time I saw Katsuya was before Chiwa moved to the food table.

**Saya Kiruma:** So you couldn't see Katsuya when the lights went out?

**Airi Kudo:** I don't have a top-down view of the room if someone isn't in my direct line of sight, I probably couldn't see them.

**Saya Kiruma:** So let's assume for now that Katsuya was roughly where you saw him last, for now anyway.

**Katsuya Suba:** It sounds like Airi's map is mostly accurate to our locations at the time. That would put Junichi, Surumi, and Rokuro closest to the winch before the lights went out.

**Airi Kudo:** And now one of our three questions has been answered for now. Junichi, Surumi, and Rokuro were in the range of cutting the cord. But the next question would be how they cut the cord.

(_Debate Start_)

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** You said it was either Junichi, Rokuro, or Surumi right? Did any of them have a blade?

**Rokuro Akada:** Nope!

**Junichi Ando:** No, I didn't have a knife.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** You confessed you did it, Junichi. You probably had a knife!

**Junichi Ando:** I swear, I didn't! You wanna frisk me? You won't find a knife, that much is for sure.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Ew, don't ask me to frisk you!

**Junichi Ando:** Surumi couldn't have done it, she died! I didn't have a knife, either. Rokuro had it for sure!

**Koba Tsujishi: No, that's wrong!**

(_Debate Stops_)

**Koba Tsujishi Cont'd:** There most likely won't be a knife on any of them, because of where we found the knife. It was backstage, if we searched Junichi and Rokuro, neither of them would have the knife.

(_Koba pulled out a purple pocket knife, flicking it open to reveal the patinated blade_)

**Monokuma:** Ooooh, Koba's pissed!

**Koba Tsujishi:** I didn't know who owned this knife, so I brought it to see if anyone could recognize it.

**Airi Kudo:** That looks familiar…

**Daichi Kakihara:** Hey… That's the knife that bitch Airi pulled on me! That's her knife!

**Junichi Ando:** You said you weren't close enough to cut the cord, why would it be your knife?

**Touki Minami:** Also, why does a babysitter have a knife?

**Chiwa Ohara:** Thank you, Minami! I've been saying that for days!

**Airi Kudo:** It's in case of a burglar. I prefer to have a knife than be without one, so I can protect my charges.

**Saya Kiruma:** Ando raises a good point. Kudo was nowhere in position to be able to cut the cable, meaning it is likely the culprit stole the knife from her. When could they have stolen it?

**Airi Kudo:** I haven't seen the knife since yesterday. I put it in my lab, and someone took it out.

**Junichi Ando:** It'd have to be Daichi then, right? He's the Ultimate Thief, after all!

**Daichi Kakihara:** Look, dipshit, just because I'm good at it doesn't mean I can do it without tools. I don't got my lock breakers, or any of the shit I normally use to take a goddamn thing, besides pickpocketing.

**Junichi Ando:** Then you pickpocketed Airi's handbook.

**Airi Kudo:** I've had my handbook on me ever since I got it, and if someone tried to take it from me I'd probably break all the fingers on that hand.

**Chiwa Ohara:** Yeah... babysitter right here, folks.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** M-maybe he bought new lock breakers at the Mini Mall?

**Daichi Kakihara:** They're like 300 Monocoins! I don't have time to go and look for the stupid things and if I had that kind of bank, I'd be buying some smokes! I'm jonesing over here and nobody gives a goddamn.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** (_pointing a finger at Daichi_) W-well, maybe it's good that you're going cold turkey!

**Daichi Kakihara:** It's making me more pissed off than I usually am! Get off your high horse and stop guilt-tripping me, Tits McGee!

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Wh-what did you call me?!

**Asana Nanashima:** (_Eye twitching with annoyance_) Oh ho ho ho… you're looking for a diet of fists, aren't ya?

**Daichi Kakihara:** Yeah yeah, keep talking stupid, Roidgela. I'll be here trying to figure out how someone actually stole Airi's knife from her lab without actually getting her to open it for them.

**Sora Hitose:** I've never been to the labs. How do they even work?

**Izumi Igarashi:** Wait, you've never been in your lab, Taiga? It's wonderful! I almost wish it was my lab!

**Sora Hitose:** No, and now I don't want to. If you like it, it has to be objectively awful.

**Asana Nanashima:** Damn, harsh.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Got her with that one! Ha. Good one.

**Saya Kiruma:** Well, perhaps an explanation of the labs will be a good point of reference.

**Saya Kiruma Cont'd:** In order to enter a student lab, it requires the owner's student handbook or to enter their birthday as a four-digit passcode.

**Saya Kiruma Cont'd:** While this seems an air-tight system, as I've learned from Igarashi, one can learn the passcode through other means, as evidenced by her ability to access Hitose's lab.

**Izumi Igarashi:** Which you still won't let me do!

**Asana Nanashima:** So… if someone wanted into Airi's lab, they'd just have to know her birthday?

**Saya Kiruma:** While it's easy to learn of someone's birthday, learning that the birthday is correlated to the backdoor of entering someone's lab is privy information.

**Koba Tsujishi:** When we first investigated the buildings, it was you and I, Izumi, Chiwa, Airi and Rinne.

**Chiwa Ohara:** Airi mentioned her birthday to us before Koba suggested we keep that fact privy.

**Rinne Takayanagi:** So, beyond Airi doing it herself, it would have to have to be one of them who took the knife.

**Koba Tsujishi:** But that doesn't fit Airi's mapping of the dining hall.

**Airi Kudo:** And I made a point of not revealing my birthday after that meet up.

**Asana Nanashima:** Gaaaaaah! This is giving me a headache! You nerds better start getting somewhere or I'm knocking heads!

**Koba Tsujishi:** I'm finding a strange lack of overlap in our evidence. Nobody's ticking all the boxes… Junichi and Rokuro being the ones closest to cutting the cord but not having the knife. Izumi, Chiwa, Airi, and others knowing how to open the doors…

**Junichi Ando:** ...I don't wanna say it, but maybe someone else knows how to do it? Did someone let it slip that someone can open the doors using their birthday?

**Saya Kiruma:** Monokuma, did you give the same hint to another person who had access to the labs?

**Monokuma:** I only told the hint to people who had an available lab! I provided the hint to Izumi because she had a lab on that floor. But she opened Sora's lab with the same hint.

**Airi Kudo:** That's also how I learned the trick. He doesn't say it precisely, but if you have some problem-solving abilities, you can get the trick.

**Junichi Ando:** No...

**Koba Tsujishi:** Junichi? Something wrong?

**Junichi Ando:** No, there's gonna be another way they found it… it wasn't…

**Saya Kiruma:** Ando, you're withholding information from us.

**Junichi Ando:** No, I've gotta be wrong on this! She didn't...

**Koba Tsujishi:** ...Ah, I see.

**Izumi Igarashi:** Huh? What's going on? What are you two hiding?

**Koba Tsujishi:** Sorry, Junichi... I think what I surmised might be the truth of the matter

(_Junichi looked away from Koba_)

**Asana Nanashima:** You two! English, please!?

**Monokuma:** Japanese!

**Asana Nanashima:** Oh shut up, you know what I mean.

**Koba Tsujishi: **There were four labs made available: Izumi, Sora, Airi, and Surumi. These four got the hint about the alternate entry method.

**Sora Hitose:** Scratch me off that, I never bothered going in my lab after I learned Izumi breathed in it, And I am not interested in Airi's weird knickknacks. Monokuma never told me, because I never bothered.

**Koba Tsujishi:** My point is that means that Surumi most likely knew the clue to entering Airi's lab.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Yeah, but… Isn't Surumi the one who died? Was she suicidal or something?

**Koba Tsujishi:** No. My theory is that she had been involved somehow, but the murder didn't go how it was supposed to.

**Koba Tsujishi Cont'd:** Remember what happened when the lights turned back on? Junichi was flat on his back, and Surumi was killed.

**Saya Kiruma:** I see, so Ando's behavior is because he's being childish.

**Junichi Ando:** Wh-what?!

**Saya Kiruma:** I did not stutter. This is murder, Ando. Your feelings toward Surumi should not be allowed to cloud your judgment. If she failed an attempted murder of you, you shouldn't be defending her honor.

**Junichi Ando:** She didn't try to kill me! She wouldn't- don't act like you knew Surumi! Like any of you did! You weren't her friend! None of you bothered to even talk to her! You all just called her weird and ignored her!

**Junichi Ando Cont'd:** You… you assholes were just like the people who made fun of her at the orphanage she was raised in. You guys are like her parents, who abandoned her for no reason, not because of money, or because of a divorce, it was all just because they DIDN'T EVEN WANT HER!

**Koba Tsujishi:** Junichi, I th-

**Junichi Ando:** Fuck all of you guys! Don't tell me how I'm wrong about Surumi. You're all wrong. ALL OF YOU! She wouldn't try and kill the only person who cares about her! That's all nonsense!

**Touki Minami:** Whoa… Junichi…

**Saya Kiruma:** ...Are you done? Your opinion has been noted, and subsequently ignored. Surumi is still my prime suspect and will be assumed until proven otherwise.

(_Junichi, tears of anger forming in his eyes, slammed his fist onto the button marked "Verbal Showdown"_)

**Junichi Ando: I won't stand for this!**

**Monokuma: **

I'm surprised he knew what that button did. Good job, Junichi! You just initiated a Verbal Showdown!

**Junichi Ando:** Yeah! I did! Now… what do I do? I didn't think I hit a button just there. I just hit it because it was big and red.

**Monokuma:** Ah! A classic decision maker! Big red button! I use those for my executions, too, but I hit mine with a gavel!

**Monokuma Cont'd:** When you initiate a Verbal Showndown, your screen should light up with each of the remaining students. You gotta pick which student you wanna meet in a one-on-one battle of words!

(_Junichi looked down at the screen, seein grid with profiles of each student, Surumi's was grayed out. Junichi pressed the box for Saya)_

**Monokuma Cont'd:** Alright! Verbal Showdown! Junichi Ando vs. Saya Kiruma!

(_The podiums began to shift backward, slotting into the back of the circle while Junichi and Saya's moved closer. After a spin of the stage for visual effect, the lights dimmed, leaving spotlights on Junichi and Saya. A set of red and blue bars appeared on the screen behind Monokuma)_

**Monokuma Cont'd:** These bars will represent the influence of the other students. If you think someone is proving better points than someone, you pretty much switch to who you think should win, then you all agree with the result!

**Monokuma Cont'd:** Now that we've got the rules laid out, let's thrown the gauntlet in this super cool brand new VERBAL SHOWDOWN~

**Saya Kiruma:** Really, Ando. Do I have to indulge your outbursts this much? This is simple.

**Saya Kiruma Cont'd:** Surumi is the prime suspect. If your injured self wasn't able to do it, and you didn't know about the hint to sneak the equipment you need out of Kudo's lab, then Surumi has to be the one who did it.

**Saya Kiruma Cont'd:** It would easier for you to simply concede defeat and go back to silence while Koba and I solve this murder.

**Junichi Ando:** I disagree, why would Surumi be the one to take the knife?

**Saya Kiruma:** You don't have to involve yourself in this. Quit now and take your horse out of the race, Ando. The rest of us are going to live, I guarantee it.

**Junichi Ando:** Don't dodge the question, Kiruma!

**Saya Kiruma:** Very well. Surumi would know the backdoor and be able to access Kudo's lab if she knew Kudo's birthday.

**Junichi Ando:** What if Surumi told someone else and they took the knife? If you didn't know that she did, she wouldn't be aware of your agreed silence about it because she wasn't part of that conversation!

**Saya Kiruma:** That doesn't mean she wouldn't have been able to access the knife.

**Junichi Ando:** You agreed on the culprit moving to cut the cord within 15 seconds, right?

**Saya Kiruma:** Ah, so you were paying attention. Yes, fifteen seconds was the agreed time in which the chandelier's cord was cut.

**Junichi Ando: How could Surumi get to the knife if the door was sealed shut!?**

(_Saya's influence bar, which had held strong threw out, was suddenly depleted, Junichi's bar filling entirely_._ The podiums began to shift back into position.)_

**Touki Minami:** (_face slightly green_) Junichi, do me a favor...

**Junichi Ando:** Yeah?

**Touki Minami:** Don't call for a Verbal Showdown again…

**Saya Kiruma:** (_briefly stunned_) Ah… hrn… Ando, how did you-

**Junichi Ando:** The door to the backstage was sealed up, so no one could get through it, right?

**Saya Kiruma:** Yes… meaning they would have to take an alternate route to the backstage.

**Junichi Ando:** So there's no way Surumi could've done that in the fifteen seconds the lights were out! She would need to go out the other exit of the dining hall!

**Chiwa Ohara:** How did that door get sealed anyway?

**Saya Kiruma: **From what I recall, it was an epoxy resin used to seal the door shut.  
**  
Airi Kudo:** It wasn't just a typical two-part epoxy, it was sealed with an ultraviolet epoxy resin. It works by being exposed to ultraviolet light and sets immediately. The culprit most likely stole the resin and a UV blacklight from my lab.

**Chiwa Ohara:** ...Are you _sure_ you're a babysitter?

**Airi Kudo:** That gag is getting a bit old, isn't it?

**Chiwa Ohara:** YOU'RE the gag! Everything you do is weird and contradictory! You know way too much about murder and poison stuff and committing war crimes!

**Airi Kudo:** I only know just enough to suffice, babysitting is still my specialty.

**Chiwa Ohara:** You look like you're scarier than Rinne and she's a trained killer! HOW DOES SOMEONE DO THAT!? WHAT ARE YOU?!

**Airi Kudo:** ...

**Saya Kiruma:** ...Right. So, the door was sealed with a UV epoxy, using a blacklight from Kudo's room. Did anyone find the blacklight?

**Koba Tsujishi:** It wasn't anywhere in the scenes of interest. I know each one of us got one in our rooms, but I've yet to see anyone actually wield one.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Wait, we all got one of those? I didn't even find mine…

**Katsuya Suba:** That's giving me an interesting thought. I think there's something Koba and Saya seem to be overlooking.

**Koba Tsujishi:** And what would that be?

**Katsuya Suba:** What if the door was already sealed shut before the murder even began?

**Saya Kiruma:** Wait, what? That doesn't make much sense. If they sealed the door shut, then they wouldn't have access to the knife to cut the rope.

**Katsuya Suba:** That's the point. I think the person who stole Airi's knife is using it to hide a second knife they used for the actual crime.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** That's what I think you're getting wrong. You're acting like this was in the heat of the moment, when instead it might have been preemptively planned. If one person can't be in three places, doing three things at once, perhaps they can do 2 or 3 things ahead of time, and do just one task to actually commit the murder.

**Izumi Igarashi:** Are you saying… That this whole thing was set up beforehand?

**Katsuya Suba:** Getting a second knife and disposing of it would be easier than running several hundred feet to access another elevator.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** And, I think the person who planted Airi's knife was Surumi, who was trying to plan something, but Junichi caught on and it failed.

**Koba Tsujishi:** Was Surumi trying to kill someone, or was she being blackmailed into killing Junichi?

**Junichi Ando:** She had to have been blackmailed!

**Daichi Kakihara:** Oh, here we fuckin' go again…

**Junichi Ando:** I have evidence for that, instead of going off her personality. A few of the things she was doing was strange, but I think I know why she was doing it. I just have to put it together!

**Katsuya Suba:** You started out the trial by saying you did it. Do you know something you're trying to cover up, or are you just an idiot?

**Saya Kiruma:** Suba raises a good point. You've only managed to get by on your own luck and Koba carrying you, Ando.

**Junichi Ando:** I don't need Koba for this. I'm going to prove she had good intentions entirely on my own!

**Touki Minami:** Junichi, you sure you wanna do this, bro?

**Junichi Ando:** I gotta… for Surumi's sake...

**Junichi Ando** Cont'd: I… I have to do this!

**Saya Kiruma:** So, what's your proof that Surumi was complicit in the murder, but not the killer herself?'

**Junichi Ando:**(_Proof… I need proof. I need something I know could be true… and I know exactly what it is.)  
__**  
**_**Junichi Ando: I have it!**_**  
**_  
**Junichi Ando:** Surumi shoved me out of the way of the chandelier at the last second. I didn't dodge it at all.

**Saya Kiruma:** She… shoved you out of the way?

**Junichi Ando:** Remember back when the lights were out… someone screamed my name just before the chandelier dropped.

**Saya Kiruma:** It was hard to hear anything, but yes, I believe your name was shouted just before the crash…

**Junichi Ando:** Isn't it weird? Someone trying to kill you suddenly gaining a conscience, screaming your name and shoving you onto your back so you didn't die? Who does that?

**Katsuya Suba:** It's a sign of a weak-hearted killer. Someone who wasn't willing to go through with their own plan. A simple shove is not proof enough.

**Junichi Ando:** She didn't move out of the way to save herself. She shoved me instead… She DIED. She didn't just shove me… she died for me.

**Junichi Ando Cont'd:** Guilt… it's a weird feeling, I get it. But… is a sudden guilt enough to choose to abort the murder by killing yourself? Wouldn't you just… give up and not kill them instead?

**Katsuya Suba:** Then she simply wasn't fit to survive if guilt was enough to shake her to her core.

**Junichi Ando:** Wasn't fit to- wasn't- she wasn't an animal, you sick bastard! She was a person!

**Katsuya Suba:** Back to your emotion-driven diatribes then? We're animals, Junichi. Everybody here is just another animal. We function based on what the chemicals in our brains tell us what we believe.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** Belief isn't truth, the chemicals in your brain can't change reality, no matter how much you want it to be true. If something is real, you have to adapt to it, not deny it out of existence.

**Izumi Igarashi: W-wait a second!**

**Izumi Igarashi Cont'd:** I think Junichi has a point, though. Her suddenly having a change of heart doesn't make sense if it was a premeditated murder.

**Izumi Igarashi Cont'd:** If it was a sudden decision… I could understand your feelings being a factor. But your argument was that it was a premeditated murder… That doesn't make sense!

**Junichi Ando:** I-Izumi?

**Saya Kiruma:** I'm curious, Igarashi. Explain your reasoning.

**Izumi Igarashi:** If it was premeditated, she would have plenty of time to go back on her plans to murder Junichi! She wouldn't just suddenly stop once her entire plan came to fruition!

**Izumi Igarashi Cont'd:** Surumi must have been complicit in this plan, and only found out how he was going to be murdered minutes before it happened. That's the only thing that would make sense for a change of heart!

**Koba Tsujishi:** She's not wrong. There's also a lot of pieces that don't fit together yet, so we can't just run on the assumption that Surumi is the killer.

**Izumi Igarashi:** Katsuya… you said it was premeditated to facilitate the fact that Airi's knife was in a place that didn't make sense. But you are acting as if she came to that decision out of weakness, or last-second shame. Despite hours of preparation… something acting on their base urges wouldn't do!

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Holy shit, why is Izumi smart all of a sudden?

Izumi Igarashi: Because our l-lives are on the line! We're being sh-shortsighted!

**Izumi Igarashi Cont'd:** If you want to prove your theory correct, then prove that Surumi wasn't being coerced!

**Junichi Ando:** Izumi's right, I have evidence to show Surumi was coerced!

**Junichi Ando Cont'd:** Koba and I checked Surumi's lab while Saya investigated the dining hall. We found a notepad with a hidden message.

(_Junichi looked over the podium, seeing the "Truth Bullet" button, pressing it and scrolling until he found the hidden note. He pressed the picture, the note appearing on the screen.)_

**Monokuma:** Aw, he presented evidence on the TV all by himself! He didn't have to bring a switchblade into the class trial room, unlike a certain DETECTIVE that we know!

**Koba Tsujishi:** You didn't confiscate it.

**Monokuma:** Yeah? Well… shut up!

**Sora Hitose:** What's with the paper being all purple? Did you doodle all over it?

**Koba Tsujishi:** It's an old detective trick. The messages were on a piece of paper that had been discarded, but the words left an imprint.

**Koba Tsujishi Cont'd:** As you can see, there are two messages imprinted on the paper. "Put the Star on Junichi's head" and "2:50" both written by "K"

**Sora Hitose:** ...The star?

**Asana Nanashima:** Oh! That's why you asked me about the star sticker on your hat in the elevator!

**Koba Tsujishi:** Asana, tell them what he asked you and what your response was! This is really important.

**Asana Nanashima:** He asked me how long he had that star sticker on the top of his cap. I noticed it the night before when we were having dinner, and I saw it again while we were watching that movie in the lounge.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** I was wondering about that weird glow on the ceiling...

**Asana Nanashima:** You weren't watching the movie?!

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Of course not!

**Junichi Ando:** Wouldn't that have been the glow of the TV?

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** It was mostly blue, yeah, but there was an occasional streak of green that always showed up in the same spot. Pretty much when I looked at the ceiling, I would spot it occasionally.

**Miyuki Ashikawa Cont'd:** Watching it move around was better than watching that awful movie!

**Asana Nanashima:** You just don't appreciate art!

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** That wasn't art! It was trash! TRAAAAAASH!

**Asana Nanashima:** Gurl, I love you but you gotta work on your standards! That movie was GOLD!

**Touki Minami:** Wait… What does a sticker have to do with a weird light you saw, Miyuki?

**Koba Tsujishi:** The sticker placed on Junichi's head wasn't an ordinary sticker… it was laced with Strontium Aluminate in its pigmentation.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Uhh… The fuck's that?

**Koba Tsujishi:** The sticker absorbed light, and it could glow in the dark. It might be somewhat dim compared to a lamp, but if all the lights were out… He would stand out like a sore thumb.

**Koba Tsujishi Cont'd:** And this 'K' person wrote a note saying to stick one on Junichi to keep track of him in the dark, and she complied. She then destroyed the original note. She was being compromised somehow, and I think I know what the killer used to force her to go along with it.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** She got rid of the note? I thought that picture is the note.

**Sora Hitose:** No, Yuuto. It's just the imprint. Koba explained this already.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** ...Why don't I remember him explaining it?

**Sora Hitose:** You probably weren't paying attention.

**Monokuma:** I gave you that shirt for a reason…

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Shut up! Stupid bear! Stupid idiot shirt! This is bullshit, yo!

**Saya Kiruma:** Hagiwara! You are interrupting this trial for trivial nonsense!

**Saya Kiruma Cont'd:** Koba, you said you and Ando had evidence to show that Surumi could have been coerced into following the killer's plan.

**Koba Tsujishi:** Right. As an effort to motivate us to kill, Monokuma gave us DVDs. Each DVD had a threat against a family member or loved one, at least as far as I can tell.

(_Koba went through the Truth Bullets, selecting Surumi's Motive DVD. The video played in its entirety, the same video Junichi and Koba watched._)

**Koba Tsujishi:** Junichi and I watched this during the investigation… and considering her… unique personality, I imagine learning this would hurt her emotionally. She was afraid of being called crazy, so imagine if we all saw that while she was alive.

**Izumi Igarashi:** ...So this is what Junichi was talking about earlier…

**Junichi Ando:** She was bullied everywhere she went… I couldn't imagine what she'd go through if people watched this video...

**Katsuya Suba:** The incentive of finding her birth parents certainly would be enough for Surumi to consider killing someone to escape, though. And Junichi would be the perfect target for that.

**Junichi Ando:** She didn't-

**Katsuya Suba:** How long are you going to keep up that delusion of yours, Junichi? Surumi didn't care about you, she saw your compassion as a weakness. Just as much of one as the wound on your chest. She saw an opportunity to fulfill her goal and used you as a means to that end.

**Touki Minami:** Dude, what is your deal? You're constantly going on supervillain rants every time someone says something you don't like.

**Katsuya Suba:** I'm simply being realistic. Junichi's emotions are blinding him to the truth and every piece of evidence he presents is driven by his feelings for the victim. But if you insist on the idea that someone was manipulating her… Do you have a who?

**Junichi Ando:** Who?

**Katsuya Suba:** You act like Surumi is being manipulated by some… Snide ne'er do well, who is making her feel all the bad things to make her follow their every command. Do you know who it is? Or are you just trying to shift the blame…

**Junichi Ando:** It would be… whoever K was. And we have a few people with K in their names. First, and last. Including you, Katsuya.

**Katusya Suba:** So that would be me, Koba, Daichi Kakihara, Saya Kiruma and Airi Kudo.

**Junichi Ando:** And I'm starting to suspect it's you, Katsuya. Airi accounted for every person's position except yours when the lights went out. You weren't where Airi said you were previously… Sharpening your knife.

**Junichi Ando Cont'd:** Funny, isn't it? You had a second knife on you, according to Airi. And since the first knife wasn't used… It would have been yours, wouldn't it

**Katsuya Suba:** Your alibi is somewhat lacking too, Junichi. You don't have a K in your name… but you did run out of the room as soon as the body was discovered. Wouldn't leaving the room in a blind dash be the perfect time to get rid of a second knife before someone noticed you had one?

**Airi Kudo:** If… they both had knives, or if Junichi can't prove he also didn't have a knife… I think that means we can't really decide who didn't have one, because Junichi could most likely throw it out before Koba found him. That leaves both of you in a precarious spot, innocence wise.

**Daichi Kakihara:** It sure ain't me. I was as far fucking away from you guys as the boundaries of the room can get. And I don't even have a knife!

**Junichi Ando:** Koba… you saw me after I ran off. You can vouch for me… I didn't have a knife, right?

**Koba Tsujishi:** …

**Junichi Ando:** Koba?

**Koba Tsujishi:** Junichi… When you left, I didn't see you for about 30 seconds until I found you further in the hallway. I… I can't discard that evidence, I'm sorry.

**Junichi Ando:** W-what!? You're saying… you can't prove I didn't have a knife!?

**Katsuya Suba:** Not being able to disprove something is almost as good as proving something… almost, anyway.

**Saya Kiruma:** So… That makes our two suspects Suba, and Ando.

**Katsuya Suba:** Me, being over on the opposite side of the stage, and Junichi, who was in the range of the winch. He might say something like he was on his back when the lights went on… but that isn't the hardest thing to feign.

**Junichi Ando:** So you're saying I did it. I manipulated Surumi… into luring me into a situation where I could drop a chandelier on her? Are you serious right now?

**Katsuya Suba:** I am. The person who framed Junichi and Surumi was Junichi, he lured Surumi into a position where it looked like she was about to kill him, then switched places with her.

**Touki Minami:** That's ridiculous! Junichi's injured! There's no way he could-

**Katsuya Suba:** He doesn't have to drag someone who is willingly coming along with him. He put the star on his head to make Surumi think someone was targeting him in the dark…

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** You mean like... from above?

**Katsuya Suba:** Not actually from above.

**Junichi Ando:** Wait… what if they DID try to track me from above?

**Katsuya Suba:** That would be something you would do to trick Surumi into thinking they were dropping the chandelier on you, and not her.

**Junichi Ando:** If… if Airi couldn't see you when the lights went out… were you even somewhere on the floor in the first place?

**Katsuya Suba: Let the hunt begin!**

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** Are you talking to yourself? Trying to come up with more lies to cover your ass, hm?

**Junichi Ando:** No… I think I know what's going on. You're thinking you can get away with dropping the chandelier on Surumi from the roof, and blame it on me because I was close enough to the winch to be culpable.

**Katsuya Suba:** You haven't answered the question, why would I be on the roof? I was in the room a few minutes before, and nobody saw me slip away, Airi simply lost track of me. Does she know where I was when the lights turned on?

**Airi Kudo:** You were on the opposite side of the room you previously were when the lights turned on. On the eastern wall, with your hands in your pockets.

**Junichi Ando:** So you could have been close enough to the winch when the lights turned back on.

**Katsuya Suba:** Why would I be on the ceiling!?

**Junichi Ando:** To make sure Surumi had me underneath the chandelier when the lights were out. You were on the beam above the fountain, where the chandelier was mounted. That was why you put the star on my head, and not on my back. If you were ground level, it would be easier to spot my back!

**Izumi Igarashi:** The argument makes sense, if you were wanting to find Junichi on the ground, you would place it on something you could always see at eye level, his back. If it was attached to his head, the only way to always see the star would be if you were above him.

**Asana Nanashima:** Yeah, but wouldn't everyone see that? We'd all probably spot the glow on his back and make our way to it. If it was on the top of his head, then only one or two people would see it!

**Koba Tsujishi:** Which would explain using a more unconventional murder method. If Katsuya is the culprit, it would prove difficult to attack Junichi if he ended up surrounded by the others in the blackout.

**Katsuya Suba:** All well and good, but that doesn't prove that I was on the roof. If it was the case, everybody could have been on the roof. What evidence do you have that would make it be specifically me aiming the chandelier?

**Junichi Ando:** _I have to have something that proves it… A way to prove it was Katsuya and nobody else on the ceiling._

**Junichi Ando: I have it!**

**Junichi Ando:** Izumi and I were told by Saya to investigate the laundry room on the way around the sealed door. It required us to go up a floor to get to it, but when we got there, all the dryers were buzzing. Another thing was that one of the vents had its grating taken off. The vent was wide enough for someone to climb through.

**Rokuro Akada:** Why would the vent be that wide?

**Monokuma:** It saves on heating to have vents between each room, so instead of a central cooling system having to cool off hundreds of rooms, you can cool off a few rooms, and the vents would distribute the air from the top-down since cold air falls downward!

**Rokuro Akada:** Uhh… oh. I didn't know that.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Why is he giving advice about economically heating a building?

**Monokuma:** I'm a bear of many talents! I'm an expert home improver!

**Junichi Ando:** When Izumi and I were crawling through a vent, we found something strange. I thought it was a lock of someone's hair at first, but with the evidence we found… It might belong to Katsuya.

_(Junichi presented the evidence on the screen, showing a hand holding locks of brown hairs)_

**Asana Nanashima:** Is that… hair?

**Katsuya Suba:** It would appear so. Brown hair. However…

_(Katsuya pulled back his hood, revealing a head of messy blonde hair, almost all of it combed back and down to his neck in length, matted by his hood._)

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** My hair is blonde, your grasping for straws is over, Junichi.

**Saya Kiruma:** That's right… I've seen his hair once before.

**Izumi Igarashi:** But who has brown hair?

**Katsuya Suba:** Touki, Rokuro, Asana, Yuuto, and Chiwa.

**Touki Minami:** W-wait! No way! I didn't do it!

_(Junichi, instead of being upset, or enraged, just started staring at the ground.)_

**Asana Nanashima:** You accusin' me, Katsuya?!

**Yuuto Hagiwara**: Man, I wouldn't do it!

**Chiwa Ohara:** (_Shaking_) I-I didn't... I don't…. I didn't do it!

**Rokuro Akada:** ...Wait, what's happening now?

**Rinne Takayanagi:** You're being accused of killing Surumi.

**Rokuro Akada:** What?! I didn't do it! I wasn't payin' attention!

(_The room began to devolve into a cacophony of denials and accusations among the students, Junichi trying to focus his thoughts._)

(**Mass Panic Debate Start**)

**Rokuro Akada:** Man, just cuz I'm good at climbing-

**Chiwa Ohara:** I was with Airi the whole time!

**Asana Nanashima:** You could fit in that dumb ass vent, Chiwa!

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Sora, back me up here, dude!

**Rokuro Akada:** -doesn't mean I could climb up that roof!

**Rinne Takayanagi:** But you did during the investigation-

**Izumi Igarashi:** Touki… why?

**Touki Minami:** I-it wasn't me, Izumi-

**Chiwa Ohara:** I-I was hiding under the table!

**Asana Nanshima:** Well, it sure wasn't me!

**Chiwa Ohara:** Why not!?

**Asana Nanashima:** Bitch I'm built like a tank!

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Wh-what kind of defense is that?!

**Rokuro Akada:** Just cuz I could climb it doesn't mean I could climb it while the lights were out!

**Asana Nanashima:** You try and squeeze in there with your boobies, it ain't gonna happen, MiMi!

**Sora Hitose:** I wanna believe you, but-

Asana Nanashima: And I got legs like boulders!

**Sora Hitose:** -you're thin enough to glide through that vent.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Man that ain't what I'm talking about! You saw me at the table!

**Touki Minami:** I was with you the whole time, I-

**Izumi Igarashi:** You heard the evidence, it had to be someone with brown hair! Who else would be in the vent!?

**Junichi Ando: EVERYBODY SHUT UP!  
**

(_The students all suddenly went quiet as Junichi took a deep breath_)

**Junichi Ando:** Guys, what if this isn't hair?

**Rokuro Akada:** Man don't be gross-

**Junichi Ando:** Shut up and let me finish! What is this was actually fur and not hair?

**Yuuto Hagiwara: **You said it was hair when you first brought it up!

**Junichi Ando:** What's the difference between hair and fur!? It's the same thing when you're holding locks of it. And this fur… belongs to Katsuya!**  
**

**Koba Tsujishi:** (_Smiling_) See? Now you're getting it, Junichi!

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** He has fur? Did his chest hair get snagged on the vent?

**Saya Kiruma:** No, you idiot. He wears a bear pelt on his head. His hair wouldn't get caught in the vent, but the pelt he wears over his hair would be caught first.

**Junichi Ando:** You were in that vent, Katsuya! (_Junichi pointed accusingly with his uninjured arm_)

**Katsuya Suba: Face me, Junichi!**

(_Katsuya ground his closed fist into the Non-Stop Debate button_)  
**  
Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** You're throwing out evidence that has already been established by Airi and her map she previously made!

**Junichi Ando:** And how's that?

**Katsuya Suba:** Recall Airi's map… Do you remember the radius around the winch on the stage? 30 feet. Remember!?

**Junichi Ando:** What about it?

**Katsuya Suba:** Airi stated you have to be within 15 seconds of the winch to actually cut it and drop the chandelier. The vent is farther than that radius, so how could I have cut the cord at the winch like Saya stated if I was on the ceiling!

**Touki Minami:** Saya did say that it wasn't cut from the ceiling, it was cut from the floor.

**Katsuya Suba:** That means I had to both be on the ceiling, and the ground. Which one is it, Ando!? Which one IS IT!?

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Did he… jump off? How are his legs not broken?! that's 30 feet!

**Izumi Igarashi:** He's right…. How do you cut the winch from the floor if Junichi claimed he was on the ceiling…?

**Koba Tsujishi:** If there was a way he could get down quick, but safely… It might be possible.

**Saya Kiruma: This is the path of truth!**

**Saya Kiruma:** There is a possibility for Katsuya to have moved down quickly and with little injury.

**Junichi Ando:** There is?

**Saya Kiruma:** Yes. It was something Igarashi brought up to me while we were investigating the scene of the crime. This chandelier is different than one of the chandeliers set up at her father's restaurant.

**Izumi Igarashi:** Oh yeah, it was! Usually, the chandelier's power cord would be connected up into the walls, and back down to the winch. But this one was connected directly to it! I complained about how unsafe that looked when I saw it. The whole cord would have been at a 40-degree angle.

**Saya Kiruma:** See, Igarashi? We could've avoided a lot of headaches if you had just told them.

**Izumi Igarashi:** But- you didn't- that's… (_Sighs_) Saya, you're not helping.

**Saya Kiruma:** The same could go for you. You were about to explain that fact but then decided to tell me 'screw it' and eschewed your responsibility!

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** So.. that would have been a safe way for him to get down? Did he walk on it like a tightrope? That would be hard at a 40-degree angle, wouldn't it?

**Daichi Kakihara:** It's not a tightrope, dipshit! He coulda used it like a zipline.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** But how?

**Daichi Kakihara:** Bitch, have you ever heard of a zipline!? I thought you were a writer!

**Rinne Takayanagi:** The idea does sound a bit outlandish. But if he got enough speed on the zipline, he could move from the roof to the floor within 15 seconds.

**Katsuya Suba:** But there's no proof for that theory. The cord was cut, how would you know if they were directly connected or not?

**Saya Kiruma:** (_barely suppressing a smile_) Igarashi… tell them.

**Izumi Igarashi:** (_Sigh_) You know you can just- Oh, nevermind. Saya why do you have to be awful?

**Saya Kiruma: **(holding up her yardstick) Excuse you?

**Izumi Igarashi:** ...Why, do you have to be awful, ma'am?

**Saya Kiruma:** Better.

**Izumi Igarashi:** I don't know what you're asking me to prove…

**Touki Minami:** She wants you to prove Katsuya ziplined the cord to the chandelier.

**Izumi Igarashi:** Oh, okay.

**Izumi Igarashi Cont'd:** Well… something Saya and I noticed while we were investigating the dining hall… the curtain that covers the stage was partially pulled off the curtain rod.

**Saya Kiruma:** The chandelier was at tension to keep itself held up, and since it was directly connected to the winch, it would have to pass by the curtain to connect to it.

**Saya Kiruma Cont'd:** If it were connected directly, and cut at the winch, the tension of the cord could yank it and rip part of the curtain off of the rod. It would only make sense if someone pulled on it suddenly, and that chandelier was several hundred pounds, it could easily rip the curtain partially off its rods.

**Junichi Ando:** So they were connected, that would make a perfect opportunity to zipline down the cord!

**Katsuya Suba:** Then how would I know when to be on the roof? If I was early, or late, then I would have been caught being on the roof. If the power was only out for 15 seconds, it would leave me no time to exit the room and get to the ceiling!

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Yeah, that blackout just kind of happened. If he was planning that whole chandelier murder, he got super lucky. Are we sure Junichi's the Ultimate Lucky Student here?

**Touki Minami:** Oh no, you did it.

**Junichi Ando:** AAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!

**Izumi Igarashi: **I forgot he doesn't like that joke.

**Junichi Ando:** DDDDDDAAAAAAAMMMMMNNNNNN IIIIIIIITTTTTT!

**Touki Minami:** Are you sure you forgot? I thought everyone said it at least once.

**Koba Tsujishi:** Hrm… maybe the blackout wasn't by chance? Junichi.

**Junichi Ando:** I HAAAAAAATTTTEEEE!

**Koba Tsujishi:** Junichi! Hello? Class trial goin' on here.

**Junichi Ando:** Huh? Oh, right. Sorry. What's up?

**Koba Tsujishi:** Do you remember the other note on Surumi's notepad?

**Junichi Ando:** Uh… I think so. I think it was "2:50..."

**Koba Tsujishi:** Right. And according to the Monokuma File, Surumi's time of death was 2:51, wasn't it?

**Saya Kiruma:** That's right.

**Junichi Ando:** So… was the time of death premeditated too?

**Asana Nanashima:** That too? How would he know when the blackout was going to happen?

**Koba Tsujishi:** I'm starting to think that this was a plan where every aspect was meticulously taken care of. Forward planning born of malice...

**Junichi Ando:** Yeah, but how would he plan a blackout?

**Koba Tsujishi:** I think it might have involved the timers on the dryers in the laundry room, you can preset when you can turn them on, and the culprit must have set all of them to turn on at once, right at 2:50 PM.

**Miyuki Ashikawa: **Huh? Y-you can cause a blackout with dryers?

**Koba Tsujishi:** Yeah, most of the building is connected to a circuit board, which regulates how much power is being drawn from everything that's plugged in. The dining hall and the laundromat shared the same circuit breaker.

**Koba Tsujishi Cont'd:** As soon as the dryers turned on at the same time, it tripped the breakers and it shut off to prevent the circuit exploding. All the culprit would have to do, is make it through the vent way and onto the ceiling to track Junichi and Surumi, as she was told to at 2:50.

**Saya Kiruma:** At that point, it'd all be a matter of doing it as quickly as possible since Suba had no way of knowing when the lights would come back on. If they came back on a second too early, we would've seen him on the ceiling.

**Daichi Kakihara:** Yeah, but he was in the dining hall the whole time. In fact, the only people who left who would've been able to set up something like that were the waitress bitch and the reporter fuckboy. That would take way too long to set that shit up unless he did it way beforehand.

**Touki Minami:** Fuck...boy?

**Daichi Kakihara:** You're trying to get the pink so bad I'm surprised nobody has gotten a restraining order against you yet!

**Touki Minami:** Says the guy who calls every girl he meets 'bitch'... Pot, kettle, black?

**Daichi Kakihara:** Yeah, but I ain't trying to get in anyone's pants, you sad sack of shit.

**Katsuya Suba:** He does raise a good point, though. It would be impossible for me to have even left the dining hall,

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** From the start of that banquet, all the way until the murder was about 10 minutes, maybe 15 minutes… and Airi saw me for most of it. If I was out of her sight, there would be no time for me to set up the power outage.

**Socrates: If I may interject!**

(_Debate Starts with Chiwa lifting her stuffed rabbit in front of her face, positioning her fingers and thumbs to move his arms_)

**Socrates:** Chiwa and I have decided that it is time for me to include myself into this class trial in an active capacity

**Socrates Cont'd:** Rather than the advisory position I had been taking throughout.

**Daichi Kakihara:** (_Rubbing his temples_) You have got to be shitting me… Can someone get the baby out of the room!?

**Airi Kudo:** I'll allow her to say what she… and Socrates have to say.

**Daichi Kakihara:** ...Are you guys high?

**Socrates:** Excuse me! I was speaking, Mr. Kakihara!

**Socrates Cont'd:** Ahem! Anyway, as I understand things, there is the choice of Ms. Igarashi and Mr. Minami as potential culprits.

**Socrates Cont'd:** However! I believe that this is simply a diversion from another possible outcome.

(_Chiwa said, pointing the rabbit's arms for emphasis_)

**Sora Hitose:** What the hell am I looking at? I might die here and I'm watching a girl play with a bunny rabbit.

**Socrates:** I am not a bunny rabbit! I am an advisor!

**Airi Kudo:** So, what's the outcome you came to, Socrates?

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** D-don't humor her!

**Socrates:** I believe that the culprit had turned on the dryers _before_ the banquet.

**Junichi Ando: I agree!**

(_Debate Stops_)

**Touki Minami:** Huh? You agree with that? Bro… she's saying it with a bunny toy!

**Junichi Ando:** So? She's still on to something! Maybe Katsuya turned on the dryers before the banquet even started.

**Rinne Takayanagi:** Maybe… but when?

**Junichi Ando:** _Hrm… when could have gone to the laundromat…_

**Junichi Ando Cont'd: That's it!**

**Junichi Cont'd:** Sora, do you remember during the movie when Daichi knocked over Yuuto's soda?

**Sora Hitose:** Yeah, I remember Izumi jumping up to grope me…

**Izumi Igarashi:** It wasn't like that!

**Saya Kiruma:** It was _exactly_ like that, Igarashi!

**Junichi Ando:** No, not that! Gross. I'm talking about what happened after that. Wasn't it weird that Katsuya offered to take your jacket to get cleaned, Sora?

**Sora Hitose:** I just thought he was avoiding watching that movie.

**Junichi Ando:** All this time I didn't know why Katsuya was staring at me when I looked back as he exited the room… but you were making sure I had the sticker on my hat, didn't you?

**Katsuya Suba: **…

**Junichi Ando:** And you used the opportunity to clean Sora's shirt to set the dryers to 2:50, right? What would you have done if that didn't happen? Would you have made your own problem up for you to solve?

**Katsuya Suba:** …

**Junichi Ando:** Hey! Are you gonna say something? Quit staring at me, you're creepin' me out!

**Katsuya Suba:** You're weak…

**Junichi Ando:** Wh-what? I'm weak? What are you-

**Katsuya Suba:** You're weak, Junichi. You're nothing but a frail rabbit hiding behind the wolves that _pity_ you. This game is about survival and you couldn't even go a day without grievously injuring yourself.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** Do you really believe that a weak-willed lamb like you is going to make it through this? You'd do us all a favor if you die because you'll be the target of every single murder with how easily taken advantage of you are.

**Junichi Ando:** I...

**Touki Minami:** Bro, you're not letting this guy get to you, are ya?

**Junichi Ando:** N-no, that's wrong! I'm not-

**Katsuya Suba:** (_Voice growing colder, glaring hard at Junichi_) You are weak! You are weak! You are weak, weak, weak, weak, weak!

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** I was raised since youth to survive in harsh conditions, to kill for every meal and to see the light of day! You are nothing but a coddled little lamb who never had to fight for anything in its pathetic life… You remind me of what makes me sick about this modern world.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** Humans as a species have regressed. Every year, we get stupider as more and more is taken care of us! You don't need to breathe anymore, we have a goddamn app for that! When what distracts you is taken away; love, friendship, games, your phone, your movies, your social life… you become passive and stare into the abyss like someone needs to tell you to eat and drink because you can't think of it your goddamn self!

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** And you, Junichi Ando, who was simply handed his position in Hope's Peak, after I had to maul a wolf just to even hope to see a world beyond the cold… you disgust me by even being here. You're worthless! You do not even deserve to breathe the same air as any of us, because I know that somewhere in the cracks of this godforsaken building that a cockroach could have used the oxygen you just wasted!

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** That spear should've done what Surumi failed to do… The fact you're not dead means another life was wasted to feed the machine.

(_Junichi slumped back in his podium, shaking and feeling his breath catch in his throat._)

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** I don't blame Monokuma at all for thinking this world is rotten, because it is. People like you deserve to die.

**Junichi Ando:** (_I'm… I'm weak…_)

**Koba Tsujishi: Don't give up, Junichi!**

**Koba Tsujishi:** Don't listen to him, Junichi! You're not weak! We're almost there, we can save everyone else. Let's put this case away, Junichi!

**Monokuma**: Yeah, Junichi! All you need to do is to vote and kill a guy!

**Touki Minami:** Well, when you put it like _that!_

**Asana Nanashima:** Yeah, Koba's right! You got Katsuya rocked! He's just trying to scare you! This is where you backfist this fucker to oblivion!

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Yeah! You've been catching every fastball he's thrown at you! You're on a roll, man!

**Rinne Takayangi:** You can do it, Junichi! You're not weak as long as you got us!

**Touki Minami:** You hear that, bro? We're all rooting for you! Now finish him off!

**Junichi Ando:** Thank you, everyone...

**Junichi Ando Cont'd:** Well, Katsuya, are you ready to go? Because I am! I'm gonna finish this!

**Katsuya Suba:** …

**Saya Kiruma:** That silence is not going to help you, Suba. In fact, it's only going to be worse for you.

**Katsuya Suba:** Oh? And what does that mean?

**Saya Kiruma:** Well, I was thinking about the blackout and I noticed something. Ando, since everyone seems to be back-patting you right now, I think I'll leave this one to you and Kudo.

**Junichi Ando:** Huh? Uh… sure, what is it? What was that about Airi?

**Saya Kiruma:** Let me pull up the Truth Bullet for you. In the chaos of the blackout, there was a lot of shouting. I want to see if you notice something…

**Airi Kudo:** Something I noticed…

**Saya Kiruma:** I have a hunch, but I don't want to influence what you remember, so I want to see if this truth bullet has the recording of the audio. Can you try to correlate who said what?

(_Saya pressed the Truth Bullet button, a recording of the dining hall playing on the speakers_)

"_The hell!?"_

_"U-uhh… What just happened? Where'd the lights go?"_

"_Who cut the lights?!"_

"_Shit! Get against the wall, MiMi!" _

"_Try and find an outlet to turn it back on! Hold the wall if you have to."_

_"Chiwa? Chiwa! Come back!"_

_"Somebody? Help!? I can't see!"_

_"And the night just keeps fucking getting better! Are you shitting me?"_

"_Everyone stay where they are! Don't add more chaos, Monokuma can turn the lights back on!"_

"_Guys, what's going on!? We heard screaming!"  
_

"_T-Touki! Be careful!"_

"_Everyone find each other and exit the room in a single file line!"_

_"Tell me where the lights are and I'll turn em back on!" [Rokuro]_

"_Surumi, are you still there?" [Junichi]_

_"JUNICHI!" [Surumi]_

**Junichi Ando:** So… you want me to figure out who said what?

**Saya Kiruma:** That's right. Everyone else is free to add their own thoughts if it helps.

**Junichi Ando:** Hrm… the fourth one is Asana. She's the only one who calls Miyuki "MiMi"

**Asana Nanashima:** Yeah, that was me!

**Airi Kudo:** Well, that's one. Now, for the first one, we're looking for someone with a deep, gruff voice. The more we eliminate, the faster these will go.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** That one was me. And I'm pretty sure the girl who spoke after me was Miyuki since she sounds like a sheep wearing a human costume.

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** W-what!? Well, y-you look like a goat wearing human skin!

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Eh, that's fair I guess.

**Junichi Ando:** The person calling for Chiwa has to be Airi, right?

**Airi Kudo:** That's right and after me was Chiwa.

**Junichi Ando:** Hrm… The one calling for Touki had to be Izumi, right? Because Izumi and Touki left the dining hall. Which means the one before Izumi was Touki.

**Izumi Igarashi:** We saw the lights flicker from the lounge. It's not connected directly to the breakers of the dining hall, but power surges cause other lights to flicker. So we opened the door and it was pitch black in there.

**Saya Kiruma:** I wonder, what was Minami doing out there?

**Touki Minami:** I was bringing food to Izumi because she was fuming over Saya. I figured she wanted something to eat to calm down.

**Izumi Igarashi:** And it helped. Thank you, Touki.

(_Touki snapped his fingers, giving Izumi double finger guns_)

**Touki Minami:** No problem, babe. Touki's always got your back.

**Saya Kiruma:** ...I feel betrayed.

**Izumi Igarashi:** It's called empathy, jeez...

**Saya Kiruma:** Igarashi, you're fired. Chiwa, you have been promoted to full assistant position.

**Chiwa Ohara:** Yay!

**Touki Minami:** Congrats, you're a gofer. I'm sure you must be ecstatic.

**Chiwa Ohara:** Stop talking for the rest of the trial, Minami!

**Saya Kiruma:** Like a fish to water.

**Chiwa Ohara:** Yay!

**Izumi Igarashi:** I wasn't even sure I was hired to begin with.

**Daichi Kakihara:** Will you fucking idiots get back to the trial?!

**Koba Tsujishi:** Well… We -are- treading water. We should strike while everyone's memory is still fresh.

**Airi Kudo:** My memory is always fresh. As the youth say, it's both fresh and fly.

**Junichi Ando:** Nobody says that…

**Rinne Takayanagi:** I remember telling people to press against the wall to prevent being ambushed. Hugging the wall and keeping your back to it is a good way to keep the enemy in 'sight'

**Junichi Ando:** Okay, so who was after Miyuki?

**Airi Kudo:** Their voice was very clear, but a tenor, so kind of high pitched.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** Sounds like Sora.

**Sora Hitose:** Yeah, that sounds right.

**Junichi Ando:** The voice after Chiwa was snappish and swearing a lo-

**Asana Nanashima:** Yeaaah that's probably Daichi.

**Daichi Kakihara:** Oh, fuck you too!

**Asana Nanahshima:** You're welcome.

**Airi Kudo:** After that was a soft, but commanding voice.

**Rinne Takayanagi:** Koba.

**Koba Tsujishi:** Didn't think I was that distinct. I'm fairly certain the person ordering us to leave the room in a slightly nasal, but authoritative voice was Saya.

**Saya Kiruma:** Slightly nasal? Excuse me?

**Daichi Kakihara:** You heard him! You got a voice made of nose!

**Saya Kiruma:** Do you only exist to vex me, Kakihara? Do you have something better to do with your life?

**Daichi Kakihara:** I do have something better to do with my life, but that dumb fucking bear trapped me here to make me do something I don't care about, to prove some point I REALLY don't care about! So, may as well make the most of being in this shithole. Now hurry it the fuck up and say Katsuya is the culprit already!

**Airi Kudo:** We still have three more voices to correlate. The next one is-

**Daichi Kakihara:** The next one is that dumb fucking caveman Rokuro, and the other two are Junichi and Surumi. There, happy, assholes?

**Daichi Kakihara Cont'd:** Junichi was asking where Surumi is and Surumi shouted his name for some reason.

**Koba Tsujishi:** Uhhh… Alright, then. Guess that's right.

**Junichi Ando:** I was asking if Surumi was still standing right next to me, and she screamed my name and shoved me to the floor.

**Rokuro Akada:** Yeah! And I was gonna fix the light! I have issues with the caveman thing, but I'll just beat you up later instead of complaining about it!

**Saya Kiruma:** So, with all of those gathered voices, only one person didn't say anything in the blackout. Suba. And I have a theory as to why. Tell them, Chiwa.

**Chiwa Ohara:** Was it… because he would have heard him moving?

**Socrates**: And because humans have three-dimensional hearing, we could hear his voice moving past all of us if he spoke anything while ziplining! Yes indeed! _(Chiwa nods Socrates' head sagely.)_

**Junichi Ando:** So, sounds like you've got nowhere left to go Katsuya. Uh… how do we end this anyway?

**Monokuma:** Well usually I want a summary after the culprit concedes. Either that or when I get bored with the trial. I'm like… 45% bored right now, so we're still good, I'd like to wrap this up soon, though.

**Junichi Ando:** Okay, lemme see if I can summarize this-

**Katsuya Suba: This is not over! Not while I still draw breath!**

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** Did you not hear the bear? The culprit has to concede before the summary! And there is no culprit! You have not proven anything! You have proven nothing!

**Junichi Ando:** I dunno... I thought I was doing pretty good after shitting the bed at the start.

**Katsuya Suba:** Is that so?! Do you really think you've solved this whole murder?! Then answer this… How did I zipline down the chandelier cable without any equipment?

**Junichi Ando:** ...You did have equipment! We heard it fall on the ground when you were zip...li… S-shit!

**Katsuya Suba:** Do you see the problem already with that argument? The carabiner that fell on the ground… it landed next to you, it didn't land at the winch! You could have dropped it on the floor!

**Junichi Ando:** There were two carabiners! You could have used… wait… no.

**Junichi Ando Cont'd:** That was in Surumi's lab and was nowhere near the crime scene either…

**Katsuya Suba:** And keep in mind, if I used either one there would have been signs of use on either… You need a break to use a zipline, or you'll go too fast and crash into the stage hard enough to shatter your bones.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** I don't wear gloves, so I couldn't use those to stop the friction from burning my hands. So, explain how I did it, Junichi!

**Junichi Ando:** Well… you… used... A belt? Maybe?

**Katsuya Suba:** Does any of my clothing seem damaged? I would have used no such thing.

**Junichi Ando:** Damn it! Y-you used… it has to be something! You have to have used something to… not… burn… your… _(Junichi started to stare at his hands, voice trailing off in thought)_ hands..._  
_

**Katsuya Suba:** Give up, Junichi! You're hopeless! You're weak! This is your end, only the strongest survive and your purpose is to lose to the strong!

**Junichi Ando: SHOW ME YOUR HANDS!**

(_Katsuya goes silent, the entire trial coming to a sudden stop._)

**Katsuya Suba:** ...What did you just say?

**Junichi Ando:** You didn't use anything to slow yourself down but your own hands! You planted the carabiners to make it look like you used them, then use your hands to actually slow yourself on the zipline! That was your last resort!

**Katsuya Suba:** Only a maniac would do that.

**Izumi Igarashi:** Wait, that's right! Saya. Wasn't there blood on the cord?!

**Katsuya Suba:** I would be bleeding if there was blood on the cord that I ziplined on with my BARE FUCKING HANDS, Junichi!

**Saya Kiruma:** The… the friction would have cauterized the wound… That's why I haven't seen any blood from his hands.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** That's some rug burn from hell! I would be in tears if I did that!

**Rinne Takayanagi:** His fists have been closed or covered this entire time. If someone like Junichi had burns on his hands, I could understand him being in discomfort but… Katsuya… Someone like Katsuya.

**Saya Kiruma:** If it meant he won… he would do it.

**Junichi Ando:** Well, Katsuya? If you're innocent, show me your palms! Prove your hands aren't damaged!

(_Katsuya gives a deep, low growl_)

**Katsuya Suba:** Y-you… You son of a bitch…

**Junichi Ando: **If you don't show your hands, you're a coward!

**Katsuya Suba:** Fine...

(_Katsuya flipped over his hands, showing his palms were a bright red, with burned, cauterized streaks of ripped flesh on each hand. )_

**Yuuto Hagiwara: **Fuck yes, Junichi! You fucking got him! I'm going to ignore that part where you said you did it earlier because you got Katsuya literally red fuckin' handed!

**Koba Tsujishi:** Congratulations, Junichi! I knew I could believe in you, even after your blunder.

**Junichi Ando:** Uhh… can we stop bringing that up?

**Katsuya Suba: **Very well, I killed Surumi. But there's something I want to say before you pass judgment on me.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd: **You were my target this whole time, Junichi. This entire plot was designed to kill you, not Surumi. You were injured and therefore the easiest of the students to kill.

**Junichi Ando:** So… you were trying to kill… me?

**Katsuya Suba:** I talked Surumi into being an ally, and warned her of an attempt to kill you. At 2:50 PM, there was going to be a blackout, and someone was going to attack you with a knife. I told her to place a sticker on your head and walk out into the center of the room, underneath the chandelier.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd: **The chandelier was to fall and crush you when Surumi realized when the lights went, and I dropped the carabiner next to her that I was going to kill one of you. Now framing her for the murder, the class trial would have been easy… Surumi was clearly mentally ill, so she wouldn't be able to hold her own in the trial and I would have walked, defeating the rest of the students. But something went wrong.

**Katsuya Suba:** She didn't react the way a human is supposed to act. She didn't act like someone who was built to survive was supposed to act. She was supposed to step out of the way! She… she pushed Junichi and chose to die in his place. It was the most… alien thing she could have done. Why would someone choose to die? Why during a survival of the fittest killing game where we're supposed to murder each other would someone ever… EVER choose to die in their place…  
**  
Junichi Ando:** She… she chose to save me. _(Junichi felt his eyes begin to fill with the sting of tears.) _D-damn it… _(He said, wiping his tears on his sleeve.)_

**Katsuya Suba: **To be defeated by… some fucking idiot, who pretty much pratfell his way to the truth… After injuring himself the first goddamn day he got here. Now I have to die because of it. How the hell did I lose?

**Yuuto Hagiwaga:** That's the power of Junichi 'Fuck it up twice and fix it later' Ando for you, buddy!

**Sora Hitose:** ...I don't think he's going to keep that nickname.

**Koba Tsujishi: **You lost because you don't understand people, Katsuya. Surumi sacrificed herself to save Junichi because Junichi was the only one among all of us who showed her any kindness. He treated her like a person.

**Koba Tsujishi Cont'd: **Because of that, Surumi couldn't bring herself to kill Junichi, even if she saved herself in the process. Knowing that you were trying to frame her for an easy class trial… I think she had faith in Junichi surviving. And because she didn't act out of her own survival, you don't want to understand the connection between two people who trust each other.

**Katsuya Suba:** ...Get to the summary. My hands have been burning for two and a half hours now.

_(Koba looked to Junichi, who was trying not to cry too much, so he was squinting to cut off the flow of tears.)  
_  
**Koba Tsujishi:** I'll take it from here, Junichi… You did well.

**Koba Tsujishi: Here's the truth of the matter!**

The murder plot started yesterday when the motive DVDs were distributed to us by Monokuma in order to 'spice' up the game. The throughline was typically involving their family, and Surumi was quite shaken by hers. So the Culprit found an in to try and rope her into their elaborate, premeditated murder plot, by claiming someone was going to kill Junichi.

Their first task was to prepare the actual murder in advance by going to the minimall on floor 17. While shopping, they found Junichi shopping for a present to make up for his argument with her earlier. He purchased a set of hundreds of glow in the dark stickers she could put on the wall of her lab. After Junichi finished his visit with her, I assumed the culprit went to speak with her and was shown how strong the glow in the dark stickers really was, which inspired them to commit a blackout murder.

The culprit spun a tale about someone cutting the power to kill Junichi in the dark with a knife, concerned, Surumi decided to go with the culprit's plan. They simply left her a note that by tomorrow, Surumi should place a sticker on his head to track him in the dark, but in reality, this was to make sure the culprit would be sure when to kill him.

The culprit, who learned from Surumi about how to enter someone's lab, entered Airi's lab code, her birthday and broke in to steal a UV sensitive resin to make it look like that the killer either fled the scene of the crime before it even happened, or that Junichi was trying to frame himself, whatever suited their argument better. For further confusion, they stole Airi's pocket knife and hid it in the room locked away by the resin-sealed door.

Surumi did what they asked, and placed the sticker on Junichi's head, and Junichi wore the same hat on different days so he didn't have to take out the pin that Surumi gave him. During the movie we watched the morning of the banquet, they used Rokuro spilling a drink on Sora's clothing as an opportunity for the next part of their plan.

They took Sora's clothes and took it to the laundry where he set every single washing machine and dryer to go off at the same time, at 2:50 PM, the same time they told Surumi to take Junichi underneath the chandelier. During this time, they also unscrewed the vent way to make it easier to remove later on. Before leaving the lounge, they stared to make sure Junichi didn't change his hat.

The banquet, the culprit stood next to the stage in waiting for people to lose attention of him, before quietly exiting the room behind the curtain and sealing the door shut behind him with a UV light, making sure nobody could use that door again, and so he could climb up to the floor above it without Izumi and Touki seeing them changing floors.

2:50 struck, so Surumi took Junichi and walked him to the center of the room with the intention of keeping him close by to protect him from the culprit's imaginary assailant. The dryers turned on, and the culprit was in the vent ways as the power went out. They didn't know how much time they had, so they committed the next steps of the murder as fast as humanly possible.

They lined up Junichi and Surumi from the support beam of the chandelier using the glow in the dark sticker… and dropped a carabiner they purchased at the Mini mall to try and make it seem like the original victim, or Junichi was making up the idea that someone was trying to kill them from above. But their next tactic required a lot of fortitude and a tolerance for pain.

They used their hands, probably calloused by years of survival and combat, and used it as a zip line to ride the chandelier's mounting power cord from the ceiling to the connect winch on stage. Typically you couldn't do this, but Monokuma intentionally set up this entire hotel for elaborate murders, so this trick was entirely possible.

The culprit used their own knife, in contrary to Airi's stolen one to cut the cord, hoping to pretend the fake culprit would have exited through the sealed door and people to think that was the actual knife used to cut the winch. They began to cut the cord, but the culprit would not expect what would happen next. Surumi, who heard the sound of the carabiner dropping realized that this was actually the murder attempt and that she had been tricked, shoved Junichi to the floor just as the culprit finished cutting the cord.

The chandelier dropped, killing Surumi instantly. But because the culprit failed to think that Junichi was saved by Surumi… that he would be the key to finding the real culprit.

**And that culprit… is you! Katsuya Suba, The Ultimate Hunter! The game is over, and you've lost!**

**Daichi Kakihara: **

Finally we can fucking vote! Because I have to Christ, I've been holding it this entire time!

**Izumi Igarashi:** Maybe you should have gone before we started?

**Daichi Kakihara:** Motherfucker, I've been here for hours! I didn't think it was gonna take this long to find a stupid murderer, okay!? I thought it was gonna be a one and done 15 minute thing! Let's vote before I piss myself, okay?

**Saya Kiruma: **The important thing is that we've solved Surumi's murder and live to see another morning. We'll worry about the traitor when it becomes pertinent.

**Monokuma:** Allllright! And now it's _finally _Voting Time! Will you all correctly vote for the Blackened… or will you choose the fatally wrong one?! Alright, everyone! Use your menu thingies and vote your culprit with your big red button. It's like your favorite Idol show… just y'know… they die.

**Monokuma Cont'd: **Well, when you win one of those shows you die on the inside, so it's kind of the same thing if you think about it! But without further ado… Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's voting time!

(_Junichi looked down to see the grid of students, he used the touch screen to select Katsuya's face, and his hand began to reach up to press the red button)_

**Katsuya Suba: JUNICHI ANDO!  
**_**  
**__(Junichi's attention snapped away from his screen to see Katsuya pulling his bear cloak back over his head, shrouding the upper half of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.)_

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** Look me in my eyes when you kill me.

**Junichi Ando:** ...

**Katsuya Suba: **Know that pushing that button is killing me. You've stained your hands with blood, and you'll never be on the same path again for the rest of your life.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:**

And… here's one thing I want you to think over when you hit that goddamn button.  
**  
Junichi Ando: **W-what?

**Katsuya Suba:** You may think I'm a heartless monster, but I did the most ethical thing I could. I killed without getting to know any of you because I wanted to disconnect myself from the toll it would take on my heart. It was nothing personal, besides you being the easiest to kill. But… what will you do when you have to kill someone you love, Junichi? Can you do it? Can you do this to your best friend…? Can you do this to your girlfriend…? Who else are you going to have to kill?

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** To kill without love is the path of least resistance… the war inside your mind begins when you have to doubt who you truly love and care for… Do you think you're capable of carrying that burden, Junichi!?

**Junichi Ando:** I…

**Katsuya Suba:** I don't think you can handle that path… the path of fear and betrayal. I can see some of you committing suicide before ever thinking one of your little weirdo friends could ever be a threat to you and your survival of this. So heed my warning… This is where your hope dies.

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** Now look at me. Don't break your vision with me, you hold your breath, and you pull the trigger. Look at me, Junichi!

_(Junichi visibly winced, struggling to look at him, finger hovering over his face on the screen.)_

**Katsuya Suba Cont'd:** When you're killing me, you **look at me!**

**Saya Kiruma:** …

**Koba Tsujishi:** …

**Izumi Igarashi:** ...

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** …

**Touki Minami:** ...

**Junichi Ando: **This is for Surumi.

(_Junichi pressed down on Katsuya's button, then hit the red button to confirm. Within a few seconds, the voting results showed up on the monitor.)_

_Katsuya: 14 votes_

_No other students have been voted for._

_(A silence loomed over the room, followed by several slot machines appearing in front of the students' podiums, before landing on a pixelized picture of Katsuya in his bear hood and images of 'Winner!' flashing on the screens. Coins suddenly shooting from the machine and onto the floor in front of each platform. Some people got less coins than other. With Junichi and Koba getting the lion's share, and Izumi getting a large amount as well.)_

**Asana Nanashima:** Oh damn! Look at all this bank!

**Miyuki Ashikawa:** Wh-what's this for?

**Monokuma:** That's your winners pot for finding the culprit! The value is weighted by merit. Capitalism!

**Junichi Ando:** That's a shitload of coins, wow...

**Saya Kiruma:** ...Why did I only get 6?

**Monokuma:** Because you didn't contribute. You just told Izumi to do things for you! Then you told Chiwa when Izumi got upset about it!

**Saya Kiruma: **…

**Touki Minami** Pffft!

**Chiwa Ohara:** Minami! Don't laugh or there will be a ten Monocoin fine!

**Touki Minami:** Ten?! I'm not giving you ten of my hard earned bearbucks, or whatever he called them!

**Chiwa Ohara:** Talking back will make it a twenty coin fine! Watch your tongue!

**Touki Minami:** Your rates are exorbitant and unfair. I'm gonna write an article about you!

**Monokuma:** Aww yeah, currency that doesn't have any real value outside of the context of a killing game! Woop Woop!

**Monokuma Cont'd:** Anyway, congratulations! You've found the killer and now comes the fun part! Execution!

**Monokuma Cont'd:** Before I do my usual spiel, I gots a unique mechanic to this Killing Game… Both the culprit Katsuya, and the victim, Surumi were both NOT the traitor. The 21-day timer will continue as planned! Keep that in mind for the next trial!

**Saya Kiruma:** Hrm… I had forgotten all about the traitor amidst the arguing over Sururmi's death…

**Junichi Ando: **Yeah…

**Koba Tsujishi:** Don't worry, Junichi. We'll stop the Killing Game before that timer goes off.

**Yuuto Hagiwara:** I really hope you guys can pull that off, Junichi.

**Monokuma:** Anyway! Since you discovered him, the Blackened, Katsuya Suba, shall receive his punishment!

**Monokuma:** Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Katsuya Suba, the Ultimate Hunter, Iiiiiiit's PUNISHMENT TIME!

(_A large red button rose up in front of Monokuma, who grabbed a gavel from the side of his throne. He swung down, hitting the button with his gavel.)_

**Monokuma:** See? Told you I brought a gavel!

(_A message popped up on the monitor behind Monokuma._)

**GAME OVER. Katsuya has been found guilty. It's time for the punishment!**

(_The stage began to spin until Katsuya was stood behind a large door which suddenly opened. A chain collar shot out from the open doorway, latching onto Katsuya's thick neck.)_

**Katsuya Suba:** The hunt is over…

(_Katsuya's podium opened up as the chain recoiled, dragging him toward the doorway. Katsuya didn't scream, cry, or show regret._)


	19. Chapter 2, Daily Life 1

Chapter 2: Afraid Of Water (Daily Life 1)

Today was going to be an interesting day at first… They survived the first class trial, and Monokuma even said he was going to make an announcement once everyone woke up and got to the lounge. The only problem with that, was Junichi was currently AWOL, and it was almost 11 AM already. The room, once full, now only had a small group of people remained.

"Should someone check on him?" Yuuto asked, sitting on a couch upside down because he had nothing better to do, as he watched Touki, Sora. Rinne and Koba playing a cartoony go-karting game.

"He's probably getting treated by Kageri still," Sora said, hitting a button and smacking Touki's cart with a wrecking ball.

"Oh, that's just BS, Sora." Touki objected.

"You're first place, the power-ups are gonna screw you over!" Sora countered. "Now eat homing rockets."

"A-again!?" Touki complained. "You're a cruel man, Sora! Can't you just give me a break?"

"Never. I'm winning this, dammit." Sora said as Touki started to get a lead again before the next player could pass him. Touki's character then got hit by a bolt of lightning.

"Damn it, Rinne! I'm in a conga-line of fuck right now!"

"Get good," Rinne joked, passing into first place.

"I have plenty of good! You're just all bullying- OH COME ON!" Touki shouted, kicking his feet into the air as Koba came riding in on an NPC rocket designed to get the person in the last place into the top four. "Why me?!"

"I just kind of fell into you, sorry," Koba said sheepishly.

"That was intentional!" Touki exclaimed.

"I'm not good at video games, of course, I would run into things… and people." Koba countered.

"Then why do we have you as our forth and not somebody else?"

"Yuuto's being a spider, Sora won't play with Izumi, Asana and Miyuki are doing workouts, Rokuro doesn't know what a video game even is, Junichi isn't here, and do you really want Saya to be playing with us?" Rinne said, listing off as many people as she could remember.

"We really should have someone check on Junichi," Yuuto said, reaching over to dump more of his bag of chips into his gross, stubble covered face.

"Loser gets Junichi, got it," Rinne replied, changing the track to 'Satellite 17' from 'Sunshine Speedway'

"You're on!" Touki shouted.

"Are we sure this is how we should be deciding this?" Koba asked, getting a shrug from Sora. "What if he's hurt and we've been ignoring him this long?"

"I don't think he has that in him," Rinne said. "I'm pretty decent at judging people for their intent to injure themselves or others… Junichi seems the type to sulk and then distract himself so he can wait out feeling better," she explained as she picked her racer.

"Hmm, that's actually kind of accurate," Touki admitted, picking his own racer, the same one he had before.

"Well, let's try and make it quick…" Koba said as he stuck to the same racer as well.

"It'll be quick cuz I'll be smoking you losers like I'm trying to start a signal fire," Rinne said with a coy smirk.

"Not on my watch," Sora said, leaning forward and holding the controller between his knees, slumping forward his shoulders to lean closer to the huge TV.

"Oh damn, Sora's goin' into the true gamer position," Yuuto said, sipping a soda upside down and getting some on his shirt because he was still sitting in a very impractical, upside-down position himself.

"There's a 'true' gamer position?"

"Yeah! When you lean forward like that it shows you're serious. Sora wants to kick some butt, I guess." Yuuto said, kicking his feet over the back of the sofa.

"That just seems like bad posture." Rinne pointed out.

As the race began, the television screen was suddenly blocked. "Hey! Down in… front?" Touki objected as he looked up to see Saya glaring at him, tapping her yardstick. Chiwa was stood next to her, clearing her throat.

"Ahem! We have been waiting four hours for Ando to arrive," Chiwa began, adjusting her glasses, using her thumb and middle finger to lift both sides at the same time."One of you is to gather him immediately."

"We were just getting around to doing that, we were racing to see who goes to get him!" Touki objected. "And is she still doing this silent treatment thing?!"

"You expect things to change under new management?" Chiwa pointed out.

"Ugh… You'd think after that trial yesterday we'd cut down on the dumb stuff we're doing."Touki groused. "Also, it's not new management! It's just you!"

"Well, I'm glad you've volunteered your services, Minami," Chiwa said.

"What?! I didn't-" Touki objected, only for Saya to suddenly slam her foot into his chest. "OW! W-what the hell!?" he asked, confused as Saya dug her high heel into his chest.

"Heh! Looks like you finally got your wish, Touki!" Yuuto said with a chuckle before Saya turned and swatted Yuuto with her yardstick. "OW! The hell was that for?!"

"Sit properly on the couch, Hagiwara. And stop getting crumbs on the floor," Saya ordered. "You're behaving like a pig."

Touki tried to grab at Saya's foot and pry it off, only for Saya to stamp down on the journalist again. "Ack! This isn't what I had in mind when I told you to step on me!" he cried.

"Saya has heard your objection and she disagrees," Chiwa stated.

"God, I hate both of you. Izumi was way better to deal with…" Touki muttered, as Chiwa lifted her flat-footed shoe into the air and tried to copy Saya grinding her shoe into his chest. Chiwa immediately lost her balance and fell backward.

"A-aah!" she exclaimed, Touki snickering before the child prodigy kicked him in the shin.

"OW! Cut it out, you brat!" Touki shouted, getting smacked on the side of his head. "Ooooowwwwww! Alright! Alright! I'll go get Junichi! Just let me go!"

Saya nodded and took her foot off Touki. Touki scrambled off the couch, heading for the elevator, as Saya turned to the rest of the group, her gaze unbroken from everybody else.

"Chiwa, send word to the others that Ando will be joining us finally," Saya said, Chiwa nodding and heading off, pulling out her student handbook as she walked to check the map for the others.

"It looks like Igarashi in her diner with Akada. He probably ordered a steak or some other protein... thing." Chiwa said, wandering into the hallway, nose buried in her handbook. She reached for the elevator call button, barely able to press it while standing on her tip-toes. She grumbled as she waited for the elevator to arrive, Saya following after her.

Chiwa and Saya climbed into the elevator, the door closing behind the two of them until an arm wedged itself into the door of the elevator. And a familiar, blonde-haired celebrity forced himself into the closing elevator. "O-oooooow!" Sora exclaimed, falling to the floor in front of the two of them. "T-that hurt all my ribs!"

"Why did you do that? That's dangerous!" Chiwa said critically.

"Anh… I forgot I have to ask you two for something... But now I'm just thinking about how much my ribs hurt right now!" Sora said while writhing on the floor, Chiwa and Saya watching awkwardly.

"You did that to yourself, Hitose," Saya noted. "Now, what did you want?"

Sora slowly stood back up, holding his ribs with one hand. "Damn door scraped all my ribs…" Sora muttered before thinking for a moment about what he wanted to say. "You said you guys were going to Izumi's diner, right?"

"Yes. And we're women." Chiwa corrected.

"Look, Dude and Guys are gender-neutral terms to me. It's fine, alright?" Sora said back. "Stop making me get off-topic and answer the thing I asked!"

"We are going to Igarashi's diner, yes," Saya said. "Will you be joining us?"

"God, no! You know how she gets around me! I don't have Junichi and Yuuto is getting fed of up of being a middleman. I need people who will get me some takeout.

"Then why not just get food from the dining hall?" Chiwa asked.

"Because that costs money. Do you think I'm made of money?"

"Yes," Chiwa said.

"Not MonoMoney! I only got like three! I didn't pick up any of the coins after the trial!" Sora exclaimed. "I'm basically broke!"

"Uhh... Why would you do that?"

"I didn't think there was any point to them! Izumi cooked free food and I hung out in the mini-mall and didn't find anything I cared about," Sora said.

"Very well, we'll get you breakfast. But we need you to find Kakihara, Kudo, Nanashima or Ashikawa," Saya said. "I'm not going to let Monokuma give us any lip for not being in the same room at the same time."

"Oh, so I gotta find all the jerks, Cool."

"Is that how you feel about Ashikawa and Nanashima?" Chiwa asked.

"No, they're alright just… look, I picked the wrong words, okay? I don't want to talk to Airi or Daichi, but I guess I'll try since you're getting me food." Sora said with a shrug. The elevator soon stopped, doors opening to the 20th floor. Saya and Chiwa stepped out while Sora began checking his student handbook for the remaining students. "I'd like something kind of low in fat. I'm not picky, but something fatty like bacon would make my stomach sick."

Saya nodded as the elevator doors shut, her and Chiwa heading for Izumi's diner. Saya stepped in, seeing Rokuro tearing into a well-cooked steak with his teeth, barely even touching the utensils he was given. She walked past Rokuro's table, smacking him upside the head as she walked over to Izumi's counter, ringing the newly placed bell.

"Welcome to my dine- Oh," Izumi announced as she turned around, only to realize who just rang the bell. "Hi, Saya…"

"Igarashi," Saya said curtly.

"Good morning, Igarashi! The usual, please." Chiwa said, getting a nod from Izumi.

"Okay. One streusel cake. And for you, Saya?" Izumi asked, smiling for the brief moment she spoke to Chiwa.

"I'm getting Hitose something to eat. Something with protein and low in fat." Saya explained "As for myself… If you had an apple danish I would prefer that."

"Hm… for Taiga… How about a biscuit, cheese, egg white, and turkey melt?" Izumi asked. "If I said it was anything else Junichi would come and stab me or something." She said with a little laugh.

"...I have doubts that Junichi's current emotional state would-" Saya began, Izumi cutting him off.

"Oh no, he'd know," Izumi said. "Apparently his true passion is being picky about naming food to the point of having a temper tantrum over grilled cheese. It'd be funny if it wasn't kind of sad."

"I see…" Saya said as Izumi started fixing up the orders.

"So, why are you picking up food for Taiga?" Izumi asked.

"He doesn't like you," Saya said simply.

"Do you really have to s-say it like that?" Izumi asked, hurt.

"I see no reason to sugarcoat this. Hitose wants nothing to do with you and needs me to bring him food." Saya said. "Try to make this quick. We're burning time and I'm Monokuma is getting testy."

"Uhm… Alright." Izumi said, discouraged but sticking to her promise of good service, as she quickly gathered the ingredients she needed for both Saya and Sora's food. "...You know you should've told someone about Katsuya…" Izumi said.

"What was that?"

"You should have told someone that Katsuya threatened you… You could have saved Surumi, and stopped Junichi from having this depressive episode. You tried to keep things calm, but you put everybody in danger to keep order…"

"I could've told someone, yes. But let's not pretend that anyone would've acted rationally in this situation. What if someone tried to kill him to prevent his murder attempt? Would they even know he was attempting murder in the first place? We'd think Suba would be innocent in that circumstance… and if we uncovered his murder plot, we might not have voted for the correct culprit." Saya said.

"Stop trying to justify things and pretending you're always right, Saya. You're moving the goalposts to make yourself not look as bad!" Izumi accused, while she was continuing to cook. "Him murdering someone is better than someone else murdering him? How about nobody murders each other, why isn't that an option?"

"Now you're putting words into my mouth. I did not say that Suba murdering anyone was good. I was simply making a point that telling people about him would've changed nothing. The outcome would've been the same, just a difference in names. Someone like Akada or Nanashima would've probably tried to attack him in retaliation and would've been potential targets or Suba would've changed plans to find a way to avoid suspicion." Saya responded.

"That's also ignoring the fact that it didn't necessarily have to be Suba. We all watched our motive videos, whose to say that none of them would've acted on them? Can you look me in the eyes and say that you trust everyone in this hotel?" Saya asked.

"Yes. I do." Izumi said. "Unlike you, I-"

"Even Kakihara?" Saya responded.

"Well… no…" Izumi said. "But he's-"

"And Surumi? Ando said it himself, none of us knew her. We suspected her almost the entire trial once Ando and his… stupid failure of a stunt slipped everyone's minds."

"O-okay, but-" Izumi tried once more.

"And let's not forget about the presence of the traitor, someone who would no doubt act on Monokuma's orders to influence someone to murder without us even knowing it," Saya said, pulling her hands behind her back.

"Look, I know.. Just… This lack of communication and blatant disrespect… Someone's going to die because of your stubbornness, Saya. I just wanted to warn you." Izumi said, placing Sora's food in a small styrofoam container, and handing Saya a warm apple danish wrapped in a paper sleeve.

"You're gonna be in the lounge after this, right?" Chiwa said, hugging her rabbit as Saya glared at Izumi in uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute," Izumi said, handing Chiwa her streusel cake.

"Good. I expect to see you after you finish eating as well, Akada," Saya said, not breaking eye contact from Izumi.

"Sure! I was wondering what that stupid bear wanted to tell us." Rokuro said as the door to the diner was knocked on, getting several people's attention.

"Who was that?" Izumi wondered.

"Hitose, he's probably back to pick up his food. We should see who he managed to find and drag to the lounge." Chiwa replied as she headed for the diner door, cracking it open and peeking her head into the gap, then gesturing back to Saya to bring the food with her.

"Are you sure I can't talk him out of not liking me?" Izumi asked Saya, who just shot a look back at Izumi in response.

"Your actions are your own responsibility, Igarashi," Saya said taking the food with her and walking out of the door, only hearing a sigh from Izumi as she closed the door, where Sora and Chiwa were waiting.

"So, you got me food?" Sora asked

"Yes. Have you been successful in gathering the stragglers?" Saya asked in response.

"Yeah. Daichi told me to eat a dick but he still went to the lounge after I asked. Airi went without saying anything, and I had to jog after Miyuki and Asana, but I managed to find both of them, even though Miyuki was on the verge of fainting from running 3 laps of the top floor. Asana said they're gonna do another lap before going."

"I see. Any news of Junichi?" Saya inquired further.

"Touki was outside his room. He's getting treated by Kageri, but they'll be down soon." Sora explained, getting a nod from Saya.

"Very well. Then we'd best be going ourselves," Saya said, handing the styrofoam box to Sora. The three students headed down the hall to the elevator.


	20. Chapter 2, Daily Life 2

Chapter 2: Afraid of Water (Daily Life 2)

Saya stepped through the elevator, followed by Sora and Chiwa, going straight for the lounge. They entered to see Daichi leaning against the wall, away from the couch, brooding as always. Junichi was on the couch, literally slumping downward. Touki was sat next to his left, still trying to talk to him while Koba was at Junichi's right, playing one-on-one against Rinne in a fighting game. Miyuki was on the far right end of the couch, reading a book. Because of course, she was. Unusually, Asana was leaning over her shoulder and reading the same page. Yuuto sat where he was before, leaving a spot open for Sora. Last was Airi, who gave Chiwa a wave of greeting.

Saya walked toward the right side of the couch, seeing there was a decently sized space there in comparison to the left side. Sora sat next to Yuuto, Saya taking the seat next to Sora and Chiwa sandwiched herself between Saya and Airi. After a few minutes, Izumi and Rokuro entered the lounge, Izumi shooting a glare to Saya before walking over to the other side of the couch, sitting next to Touki. Rokuro jumped onto the back of the couch behind Yuuto and Sora.

"Akada! Get off the back of the couch!" Saya demanded, but Rokuro ignored her. Saya was going to speak up, but just swatted him on the wrist and sat back down, with Chiwa hopping up onto the seat with her slightly undersized frame beside Saya, then putting her toy rabbit on one of her legs.

"Is Monokuma gonna show up already?" Junichi asked, barely any emotion in his voice.

"He woulda showed up earlier if you didn't have your thumb up your ass all morning," Daichi said from across the room.

"...Whatever." Junichi replied, sinking in further to the couch. In response, Daichi grit his teeth.

"C'mon, man. Get offended by me. Your mom's a whore, I ran over your cat, your stupid pointy hair thing is fuckin' stupid! Don't just blow me off like that!"

"Uh-huh…" Junichi said with a weak nod.

"Ah, fuck you too!" Daichi exclaimed, turning away from the couch.

"Weird how that's getting to him more than when he's pissed us off…" Touki said, looking at Daichi stewing in his own anger. "Maybe he likes having someone to piss off."

"I guess..." Junichi said with little enthusiasm.

"Beaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!" Monokuma announced, jumping out of a small hole that opened in the floor, just in front of the coffee table.

"Bear!" Touki shouted, in surprise.

"Bear!?" Miyuki shouted, startled.

"Bear…" Junichi muttered, then sighing. 

"Well, good afternoon everybody! I'm here to make a veeeery special-" Monokuma started with a paw behind his back.

"Just give us the shitty thing you're planning next." Rinne cut him off.

"Look, I'm trying to be the bear-er of good news, for once!" The bear joked, rocking on his toepads.

"Booooo!" Yuuto heckled from his side of the couch. "Boo this bear!"

"Oh, boo yourself! Are you really fed up with me after like ONE class trial? Is this going to be all the jokes now? I show up, and you tell me I suck and leave?"

"You called all of us rip-offs of people we've never met."

"I was just spitting straight facts, dawg! That's different than sandbagging any jokes I can come up with!" Monokuma said. "Anyway, y'know how this building has 21 or so floors, and you guys could only use like 4 or 5?"

"You're opening more rooms?" Saya asked in response.

"Dinga-ding-ding! We've got ourselves a smart cookie in the room! Yep, I opened up a few more rooms. The theme of these rooms? They're gonna be wet. Uhh… with water, in case you don't know what wet is."

"We know what wet is," Rinne said bluntly.

"Yeah… the motive is on hold for now until you guys check out the new areas. I suggest you make it snappy instead of… I 'unno, dwelling on each room. Less time lookin' at stuff and more time doing stuff! We should have a pool party, dammit. Poolparty!" Monokuma said, voice squeaking at his excitement about a potential pool party.

"We have a pool now? Sweet!" Yuuto said, scrambling off the couch and hopping over the back of it, nearly plowing into Rokuro as he got ready to explore the new floors. "I'm goin' to that shit!"

"Yuuto, wait for m-" Sora said, Yuuto already leaving the room. "Oh, whatever… Let's just go already," he said with a sigh, getting up from the couch and following after Yuuto. Rokuro jumped off the couch, more people getting up and leaving in different groups out of the lounge and to the elevator. Saya and Chiwa, followed by Airi. Rinne leaving with Koba. Daichi walking away from the others. Asana dragging Miyuki along.

"Alright, new floors! You ready to go, bro?" Touki asked, getting a shrug from Junichi.

"I guess so..." Junichi droned.

"Hey man, I know you're sad, maybe a change of scenery might be good for you. Let's hash it out on our own and see some of the new places." Touki said, giving Junichi's good shoulder a clap.

"Yeah…" Junichi said.

"Izumi, a little help here?" Touki asked. Izumi stood up from her spot on the couch, putting her hand on Junichi's other shoulder.

"Did you guys need help with something?"

"Junichi needs camaraderie, you're one of the decent people to be around, so maybe you can check out the rooms with us now that Saya gave you the pink slip."

"Sure," Izumi said.

"That's weird, I thought that statement would have rattled you, now that I thought about it," Touki muttered.

"Spending time with people who won't yell at me? Why exactly would I hate that?" Izumi asked, scratching some of her messy black hair.

"Good point. Now, help me drag Junichi out of here," Touki said, grabbing Junichi's arm. Izumi nodded and wrapped her arm around Junichi's back. The two hoisted Junichi from the couch, careful not to hurt his other arm. "Alright, you support his back and I'll support his front."

"Got it," Izumi said as they walked Junichi out of the lounge, meeting everyone in the elevator.

The door shut, Saya looking to see the buttons for floors 16-13 had lit up. "So, these are our new floors…" Saya observed, pressing the button for the 16th floor.

"Only four extra floors?" Miyuki asked as the elevator shook to life.

"Monokuma opened up the mall because the Dining Hall got shut down if I remember," Saya answered. The elevator soon came to a stop, the doors opening up to show a hallway with a polished quartz floor and bright blue walls, the hallways lit with blue neon lights hung from the ceilings, soaking the room in a strange atmosphere.

"It's very… blue…" Sora stated. "I guess someone here likes blue a little too much."

"Blue has a soothing effect according to color psychology!" Monokuma said, literally leaning out of a small door in the wall. "Plus, it's thematic! Blue is a wet color! And these floors are-"

"Wet. Yeah, we get it!" Miyuki snapped.

"I even polished the dark-colored floor so it's reflective, and looks like you're looking into th-"

"Water. We know." Rinne said, cutting Monokuma asked.

"...You guys seem less excited about this than I was hoping." Monokuma said, disappointed.

"You literally spoiled this before we even got here," Touki said, holding up Junichi with one arm. "What's next, painting waves on the walls?"

"I mean… I was gonna do that, but I didn't get around to it in time." Monokuma said with a shrug.

"Right. So what's on this floor?" Saya asked.

"Well... The pool! Also a bathhouse/sauna thing, you can also check out the aquarium on two different floors from how deep the thing is. We also have a karaoke bar!"

"Hell yeah! Everybody get in the pool!" Yuuto exclaimed, running for one of the doors.

"I don't even have a bathing suit…" Miyuki said. "Does he expect me to go swimming in a sweater?"

"I mean… you could always take off the sweater..." Touki suggested with a grin.

"Touki, don't be gross," Izumi commented under her breath into his ear.

"N-no way! I'd want a proper bathing suit if I were to go swimming. I'm not ruining my clothes in pool water! I'm not j-just some fan service for guys who like girls with big chests and glasses!" Miyuki objected.

"...I just realized you and Saya are both exactly that. Oh my God." Touki said, in realization. He then felt the sudden sting to the back of his head. "O-ow! I'm holding Junichi over here!" He shouted, as he almost lost his grip on Junichi.

"Th-thanks, Saya," Miyuki said.

"Here, lemme help you there, Touki," Asana said, reaching over and lifting Junichi onto her shoulders "Up you go, sandbag boy!" she exclaimed, holding him effortlessly.

"Thanks, Asana. Don't throw him, okay?" Touki asked before Saya began striking him again. "Ow! OW! Stop it! This is assault! This is not cool, nor funny!"

"Thank you, Nanashima. I was hoping to discipline Minami without harming Ando." Saya said.

"No problem," Asana said, carrying Junichi off.

"YOU HAD AN AGENDA! I KNEW IT!" Touki shouted while getting rained with swats from the flexible metal yardstick.

"Hey, you perved on MiMi and her boobies. You've got no one to blame but yourself. You see how many swats Junichi got for not being gross?" Asana pointed out.

"He's injured! And in a weird… potato-tive state!" Touki shot back, face covered in little, rectangle-shaped red marks from some of the blood vessels under his skin getting inflamed.

"Bad wording," Izumi said, looking away from them.

"Someone make her stop!" Touki cried out.

"She's not even really swinging her shoulder to hit you. She's doing those little tennis slap shots with her elbow and wrist more than clobbering you. And anyway, a yardstick mostly just stings… You'll live, Perv-Minami." Asana said.

"It still hurts!" Touki shouted as Saya did one final spinning strike.

"100 Strike Atonement! A pervert's ultimate punishment." Saya said.

"Oh, now you're talking to me!" Touki exclaimed. However, Saya did not respond to him, she turned away from him and began to walk.

"While swimming is not on the schedule yet, we may check out the pool room and attempt to return Hagiwara to the group," Saya said to the remaining students, stopping at the door to the pool room.

She opened the door, greeted by the wide, terrifying grin and leering eyes of the MonoServant Hojo. On any other day, his presence would be enough to spook Saya. But today, she was given a whole new terror to gaze upon.

"Surf's up, dudes!" Hojo said excitedly, dressed in shades, Monokuma-themed flipflops and a tight red speedo.

"Oh good God, no!" Sora shouted. "I can see way too much, abort, abort!"

"Cover your eyes, Chiwa! You do _not_ need to see this!" Airi exclaimed, putting her hands over Chiwa's eyes.

"Thank you!" Chiwa said gratefully, covering Socrates' eyes with her own hand.

"W-why is he so hairy!?" Izumi shouted in disgust, which made Asana start to fight the laugh she felt coming because she might drop Junichi.

"Isn't it rad that this totally bodacious pool got opened up?! It makes me wanna dive in deep for a beach break! This place is totally duck-dive!"

"...Are those words?" Koba asked.

"But this pool is totally choice, brah. It's like 80 feet long and has three diving boards! One little one for baby losers, a 10 foot one, and a 30 foot one!"

"How many Monocoins will it cost for you to shut the fuck up?" Daichi asked.

"More than what you have, ya hodad!

"...The fuck did you call me?" Daichi asked, more confused than angry.

"I'm gonna hit the water, dawg. You folks can go check out the other dope ass rooms on this floor! Just remember to hit the Mono-Mono Bikini Ma-Cheen in the pool room to get your personalized bathing suit!" Hojo said, pointing to a nearby gashapon machine.

"W-wait, we have to get personalized swimsuits from a gashapon machine? W-Won't we just get a random swimsuit with no guarantee which one is ours?!" Miyuki pointed out.

"Eh, just makes it funner that way. How do you think I got mine?!" Hojo said, swiveling his hips.

"...I really want you to stop gyrating at me." Touki commented.

"Would it feel better if I looked you directly in the eyes?" Hojo asked, still gyrating

"It makes me want an adult," Touki said.

"I am an adult!" Hojo protested.

"I'm guessing it's better I stay blinded, huh Airi?" Chiwa asked

"Absolutely," Airi replied.

Saya sighed and began striking Hojo repeatedly with her yardstick.

"Uh… aren't we not supposed to attack the MonoStaff?" Koba asked.

"Is that a weapon or an extension of her awful self?" Touki asked, answering a question with a question of his own.

Rinne got behind Saya and grabbed one of her wrists, easily twisting it behind her back and using it as a lever to pull Saya away from Hojo. "Eaaaasy now. Let's go be sane somewhere before Monokuma comes and kills us."

"Death to perverts, Takayanagi!" Saya shouted as Rinne dragged her away.

"We're… gonna go to the hot spring now. Seeya, weird speedo dude." Yuuto said, shaking his head as he guided a now blinded Sora way from the pool.

"You didn't go swimming?" Sora asked, wondering why Yuuto had all his clothes on still.

"You damn sure know why I didn't," Yuuto said. "Not with that weird dude bein' here."

"Good point…" Sora said with a shrug.

The group soon got to the bathhouse, which was mimicking a traditional outdoor hot spring, a large pool of water, heated to the point it was bubbling, and the room was partially filled with steam. The pool itself was made of smooth rocks, with a vacant place for the water. There was also a splitter in the center; a tall, wide wooden fence separating two halves of the hot spring.

"Ah, of course. The onsen is split between men and women, I forgot what they call when the two genders intermingle." Saya said, putting a hand to her chin.

"Co-ed?" Asana chimed in.

"Yes. That's right." Saya said with a nod.

"This wall is a force for great evil," Touki objected, Izumi suddenly covering his mouth.

"Don't press your luck, Touki. Saya still has her yardstick," she warned. "I'm pretty sure you don't want her beating the snot out of you two times in the same hour," she said, taking her hand off his mouth.

Touki nodded as Chiwa walked over to the border of the hot spring. "Hrm… the water looks to be pretty deep… One or two steps down, the floor fades away from the bubbles. If I tried to sit in this, I'd just end up drowning and hot and hating it."

"Yeah. Most people hate drowning…" Asana said, scratching the back of her head.

"It wouldn't be just the drowning. The heat would also be a factor in hating being here. I'd turn into a lobster if I spent half an hour in here due to my lack of surface area."

"Surface area?" Asana asked.

"Yeah, if the same amount of energy is applied to two objects with different surface areas, the one with less surface area will heat quicker from the convection transferring the heat energy to their body. It's like grilling a skirt steak vs trying to grill 4 pounds of roast beef."

"Uh-huh… well, I know where I'm going after this. My muscles are still barking from the morning work-out." Asana said with a light shrug.

"I nearly died from your morning run, Asana... " Miyuki said, adjusting her shoes. "My legs are still throbbing with pain… I'd need to come here too."

"Sure thing, MiMi! We'll make it a spa date! Every lady is invited! We'll even get some food afterward." Asana suggested, Touki's ears perking up at the idea.

"Sure!" Izumi exclaimed, Touki slightly bouncing in joy next to her.

"Alright," Rinne said as Touki's smile widened. "I could use a nice hot bath."

"Sounds like a plan," Airi added, Touki lightly pumping his fist. "Are you sure you want to skip this, Chiwa?"

"I don't want to turn into a lobster, so I think I'll just stick to the shallow end of the swimming pool, as long as the weird speedo guy isn't there," Chiwa said, slightly uncomfortable.

"I'll pass as well. I'll take over watching Chiwa for the while," Saya said.

"How are you even holding Junichi right now? Isn't he heavy?" Miyuki asked, tilting her head curiously at Junichi lying limp across Asana's shoulders.

"Heh! Red's nothing compared to pulling a tractor tire around by my teeth! That shit hurts, but it improved my leg strength and my ability to get punched in the face!" Asana said, playfully punching herself in the chin.

"Why would you… why a tire? Why with your teeth?" Miyuki asked as Asana started walking out of the bathhouse. "...Anyway. I think we've seen enough of the bathhouse. We got a few more places to go, right?"

"Right! The top few floors of the building were intended for the guests to stay in. Without the windows boarded, you could see the sunset over the sea of Japan when you're that high up! The lower floors will probably have less stuff on 'em." Monokuma explained.

"Good because I'm getting tired of exploring already," Rokuro said.

"We're only a floor in! How are you already tired?" Miyuki asked.

"Because it takes you idiots half an hour to tie your shoes! Get a fucking move on!" Daichi snapped. "Stop getting distracted by dumb shit!"

"Man, you really need to see a therapist," Yuuto said.

"I need some fucking smokes! Now hustle!" Daichi shouted, lightly shoving Yuuto out of the door.

"Hey, hey! Quit pushing, you jackass!" Yuuto objected as everyone left the bathhouse.

"Then move!" Daichi yelled, pushing Yuuto along the hall. They stopped at the next door, opening up to find what appeared to be a relatively small room, lit by pink and blue neon lights alternating in slow pulses, with what appeared to be a small stage on one side of the room, and a small machine with a microphone attached to it. There was a Monokuma singing background music into the microphone, wearing a blue business suit with a red necktie wrapped around his head like it was a bandana.

There also appeared to be two vending machines in the back of the room, and a bar counter for serving drinks. There were about 2 tables, with about 6 seats apiece, the back wall had a dartboard, and in the center of the room was a billiards table. The room had no wallpaper or paint and was entirely made of brick, with a grey and black tiled floor.

"Blue moon~ You saw me standi-... Oh! Welcome to the karaoke bar!" Monokuma announced into the microphone in a husky, bluesy tone. "Why don't you cool cats go over and get yourselves a drink from the vending machine and coooool off~?"

"Why a karaoke bar and not just… a bar?" Miyuki asked.

"Y-you're minors, stupid!" Monokuma shouted, causing the microphone to feedback with a hiss. "Don't drink the champagne, I might get into trouble with the censors."

"So you stocked the place with wine… but don't want us to drink it." Airi observed.

"I mean… I guess you're old enough, Airi. But I don't really want you to go around and be drunk like my alcoholic dad."

"What did you just say?"

"...Blue moon~ You didn't hear that last joke~ And now I'm all alone~ Singing my little tune." Monokuma sang to dodge the question. "Anyways, the vending machine has… varietay~ You can choose between a soda…" Monokuma started, snapping along to the song._ "Or a different sodaaaaa~ Aww yeah."  
_  
"And how about the karaoke machines? Do the songs have variety?" Sora asked.

"Ah ah ah! _Varietay~_" Monokuma said.

"This is dumb," Sora said, shaking his head.

"I've got 3000 songs on this baby!"

"Wait. Holy shit." Daichi said, shoving his way to the front of the group. "Any of you assholes got some MonoCoins!?"

"You thinkin' you want… a sodaaaaa?" Monokuma said, slowly pirouetting in place. Then he saw as Daichi quickly pickpocketed Junichi, grabbing a few of his stash of Monocoins. He then went over to the vending machine. After a few button presses and dropped coins, a pack of cigarettes dropped to the door on the bottom, with a matchbook attached to it.

"H-hey! What're you doing?" Saya exclaimed.

"What does it look like I'm doing!?" Daichi shot back, grabbing a match and striking the plate to set it alight. "I've been wanting this since the fuckin' doors opened!"

"D-don't buy cigarettes, you're a minor!" Saya shouted. "Kakihara! Put those down!"

"Eat my ass, bitch! I need my stuff, goddamn it!" He said, lighting the tip of the cigarette, putting it in his mouth and taking the biggest drag of his life. "H-hoooooolly fuck, man… Oh, thank god…" He said, his knees almost shaking from the headrush.

"For the record, Monokuma doesn't condone substance use, but he's not interested enough to stop it at the moment... Dig it, baby~"

"Wait, so murder's okay, but you draw the line at smoking?" Chiwa asked.

"I don't draw lines, maaaan. Everything's supposed to just kinda blend together into one big cool thang~ You do you. Just don't drink the wine… I'm instilling despair, not starting alcoholics anonymous._ Shaka boom boom yeah~ _"

"You didn't answer my question," Chiwa said.

"There are no answers and there are no questions! There's only groovin'... and class trials. A trial about who's falling to the demon of addictive substances is for the after school special, y'all. And that just ain't cool~"

"You're not even intimidating, you're just weird!" Yuuto complained as Saya continued to rant, complain, and berate Daichi while he smoked cigarettes like a chimney in the background.

"We can get back to what we're doing, but I think the rest of you will get a treat out of the last room on this floor!" Monokuma said.

"We're leaving already?" Chiwa asked.

"Man, let's just actually get in an out of a room in under 10 minutes. Don't ruin this for me." Daichi said, cigarette hanging from his lips.

"You are too young to be taking in carcinogens into your body, Kakihara!" Saya continued to rant. "Do you want to deal with cancer before you're 40?"

"We're in a killing game you dumb bimbo, half of us will probably be dead by the time we get out," Daichi said, taking in another drag and puffing it out in her face, getting a loud, wheezing cough out of Saya. "Cool your tits, I'm going to be easier to deal with now that I'm not in constant withdrawal."

Saya coughed and gagged, waving the smoke away from her face. "H-How… dare you! You... hakk! Urk!"

Saya's anger was cut off by more violent coughing. Before long, she had to double over, putting her hands on her thighs and coughing hard enough to turn her face red. "S-Saya! Are you okay?!" Chiwa exclaimed. 

"Real dramatic of you, damn," Daichi said, taking another drag as he walked off.

"Can't… breathe…" Saya said, turning away from Chiwa and barreling out of the karaoke bar, reaching into the breast pocket of her clothes to grab her inhaler, and hold it against her lips to try and take a breath of the medication, feeling only a weak blast coat her lungs. That was the last she had in there. She began to slow her breathing to compensate for the lack of medication. A few more coughs sputtered out as Saya leaned herself against the wall for support. She kept up her slow breathing until she finally felt her lungs recover.

"Saya… is something wrong?" a voice came from behind her. Saya turned around to see Chiwa standing behind her with a concerned look on her face.

"Ah… Chiwa… I'm fine now. However, I will need to tell you something in full confidentiality," Saya said, getting a nod from Chiwa.

"Of course," Chiwa said.

"I suffer from moderate Asthma and my inhaler is out of medicine. I didn't get a lot from the previous class trial, so could you purchase some medication?" Saya requested.

"How would I know if I got the right Asthma medication?"

"I'm fairly sure the only ones they'd sell would be the ones I need. Monokuma seems to curate items based on who we are at the mini-mall," Saya said, handing her the inhaler. "If not, just try to find a copy of this one."

Chiwa nodded, checking her student handbook briefly. "Hrm… oh! Saya, there's a clinic!"

"There is?" Saya asked.

"Yeah, on the thirteenth floor! I bet that lady with the bear head will be there and can help you get treatment!"

"Ah yes, Dr. Saito," Saya said with a nod.

"...Why don't we just use the map to figure out what new rooms there are instead of having this tour bus wandering through the floors slowly?"

"I… I didn't really think of that. I figured Monokuma would force us to explore if we just all looked at the handbook map." Saya said.

"I don't think he's having much fun doing this either," Chiwa said.

"Monokuma is a difficult person to read. He seems to flit between manic jokester and menacing danger to us all..." Saya assessed as she headed for the elevator. "Besides, knowing where something is an being familiar with it are different things and I would rather be aware of any potential dangers the new rooms bring to us."

"Good point. Anyway, we'll meet up with them after we meet with Kageri?" Chiwa asked.

"That's right. Hopefully, they won't get too far through the floors without us," Saya said with a nod as she pressed the call button for the elevator.


	21. Chapter 2, Daily Life 3

Chapter 2: Afraid of Seals (Daily Life 3)

"Hey, Red! Pick your head up! Come on, man! You're missing out!" Asana shouted at Junichi. Junichi slowly lifted his head up to look around. He saw they were in a hallway surrounded by plexiglass walls. Beyond the walls was what appeared to be an artificial shoreline made of rocks surrounding the curved plexiglass wall. Along with the fake shoreline, there was a huge pool of water, lit bright blue by the lights shining down on it. As Junichi looked, a high, excited gasp broke out.

"SEEEAAAALLLS!" Izumi shouted, running up to one of the plexiglass windows with a huge smile on her face. She squished her face against the plexiglass slightly as Junichi lazily glanced over to what she was looking at. The entire artificial beach had dozens of seals lounging on the rocks."There are seals! Water puppies! Squish… uhh… I can't think of a third name for them! Seals!"

"Huh… so we're in an aquarium?" Junichi asked listlessly.

"Yep. It's a two-floor aquarium, going from this floor to the one below. We have fully aquatic, and semi-aquatic animals from the colder regions to populate this place! That include-"

"Penguins!" Miyuki squeaked out, pressing her face and chest to the glass to look at the other side of the beach, to see nearly 100 penguins waddling on the rocks. "Asana! Look! There are so many penguins! Lookit them wearing those little suits." She said, gently hopping on her toes. Asana chuckled and turned around to watch the penguins, moving Junichi so he could see all the penguins.

"Oooh, penguins. Penguins are cool I guess." Junichi said with a weak smile.

"That's the spirit, Red! That's the most energetic I've seen you all day!" Asana said.

"That's kind of sad when you put it that way." Touki pointed out.

"Oh! One of them just slid on its belly. Hah! It knocked the other one other!" Junichi said, laughing a bit, as one penguin pretty much baseball slid into another penguin to knock it into the water.

"Alright! We're making progress!" Touki said. "Come on, Asana! Let's get him down to the lower floor!"

"Hey now! Don't rush him! Let him enjoy some penguins!" Asana said.

"Alright, all the penguin fuckers stay on this floor, I'm gonna look at the lower floor already," Daichi said, looking at the end of the hall to see that it split in two. First was covered with a velvet rope, and the other half wasn't roped off at all. "The fuck is this shit?"

"Velvet rope! We're roping off that section of the upper floor. There's maintenance stuff over there and would be...Hey, what are you doing!?" Monokuma shouted.

"Hopping your barrier out of spite!" Daichi exclaimed, hopping over the velvet rope with one hand and landing on the other side. "Oh lookie~_ I'm twesspassing_. Someone stop the bad man~"

_Thump!_

Daichi stopped dead as he heard the sound of a low, electronic growl behind him. He turned around to see one of the robotic wolves crouched behind him, chainsaw tail raised and beginning to rev up.

"J-Jesus! FUCK!" Daichi exclaimed, stumbling backward and tripping on the velvet rope, falling on his face. "Man, what the hell!? I thought these things were just for executing the hunting weirdo!"

"Those are my 'enforcers' in fact," Monokuma said. "Introducing, even though you've already seen them, the Fenrir MK. V!"

"Get it the hell away from me!" Daichi blurted as he scrambled to escape the ropes.

"You're the one who hopped the rope! If you don't want to be gunned down I suggest you rejoin the rest of the group."

"Y-you didn't have this shit on the first few floors!" Daichi said as he finally got out of the ropes and got back to the others.

"No one broke any rules, so using them was pointless up 'til now. That, and I wanted to debut them by murdering the heck outta Katsuya for dramatic effect!"

"...How exactly did you get these Fenrir robots?" Rinne asked, slowly walking along the velvet rope to get a good look at the robot.

"Haah? You're not intimidated by them?" Monokuma asked.

"Am I breaking any rules?" Rinne inquired.

"Well, no. But it's still a walking death machine!"

"As long as I'm not breaking rules, it won't attack. Besides, I'm more curious than I am frightened," Rinne said. "The thing that's bothering me is where did you get something like this? I've been on military bases before. I've seen some of the tech they've been working on. They've never had anything this advanced." she said, watching the Fenrir's movements.

"This is bleeding edge black market warfare stuff. This thing is made for war crimes, not combat… It's fully autonomous, highly durable, has a chainsaw tail and can shoot iron rods from its mouth. Has hidden, built in machine guns and appears to be made of some kind of bulletproof alloy… And it seems to be tracking my movements with some kind of infrared heat sensor." She said, slowly shuffling across the room, the robotic wolf's blood red glowing eye sensors slowly following her.

"It's even better than it sounds! It can draw the naturally occurring electromagnetic energy in the atmosphere to maintain its battery power! I can just turn it on and leave it on for months at a time. The fact it's surrounded by electronics means it's constantly recharging itself!"

"I'd say that's pseudoscience bullshit… but I'm looking at it." Rinne said

"They also like to be taken for walkies," Monokuma said with a chuckle.

"Well, I think I won't be breaking any rules any time soon…" Sora said, keeping his distance from the Fenrir.

"They'll just be patrolling sensitive areas. They won't attack you unless you attack them or break a rule. Seriously, you could pet one!" Monokuma said.

"No thanks, I'll pass," Sora said.

"Is what they fired out their mouths what impaled Junichi?" Koba asked.

"Yep! It was offscreen," Monokuma explained.

"Offscreen… Uh...huh." Sora said, clearly not believing the explanation.

"Spears of Gungnir usually fire several at a time, but since this thing's updates, its targeting is now around 120 times per second… it pretty much is sure to hit." Monokuma explained, before hopping onto its shoulder. "Cmon! Pet it."

"Knowing that doesn't make me feel any better," Sora said, shaking his head. "I'm just gonna see what's on the lower floor."

"Y-Yeah, I'm with Taiga… I don't feel comfortable being in a room with one of those things…" Izumi chimed in.

"On second thought maybe you can stay on this floor while I head down," Sora said, walking off for the elevator at the end of the hall.

"W-what?" Izumi asked, confused.

"Seeya!" Sora called, Izumi letting out a sigh.

"I just don't get him… Why doesn't he like me? I'm such a huge fan."

"I think the problem is you -don't- get him," Yuuto replied.

"And _you_ do?" Izumi said skeptically. "What are you, a Taiga superfan?"

"I'm not a fan at all!" Yuuto shot back. "I think J-Pop is kind of vapid and annoying."

"Then how can you say you know Taiga better than I do?!" Izumi shouted, Yuuto shrugging. "What's his blood type! What's his favorite food!? Where was he born!? Do you know the first instrument he learned how to play!? Who was his first agent?! What show did he cameo on!?"

"I dunno, I just know that you're the one calling him Taiga…" Yuuto said, walking off.

"What's that supposed to mean…?" Izumi asked.

"Let's go to the elevator so we don't have to wait for it to come back, Junichi," Touki said.

"Sure… uh... You mind putting me down, Asana?" Junichi asked.

"Yeah, no problem! Do you want to be placed down like a baby or dumped off like a bag of potatoes?" she offered.

"...Why would I pick being dumped like potatoes?" Junichi asked as Asana chuckled and carefully set him onto the floor.

"Hah! Coward…" Asana said with a smirk.

Junichi slowly got up to follow Touki. The two made their way to the elevator. Touki hit the call button, the elevator quickly came up and the remaining students stepped inside for it to go down one floor. They stepped out to a long tunnel with similar plexiglass walls, this time dividing the students from actual tanks of water. Several different fish swam through the water, most of them reacting in awe as fish swam over their heads on the ceiling, various creatures from the colder parts of the ocean gazing down at them as they began to walk through the tunnel.

"This is pretty cool, I guess. It sorta feels like it's not really the place we'd hang out, though." Junichi said.

"I dunno. It's kinda cool… though it could use a shark," Rokuro said. As if on command, a large bull shark passed over their head. "Alright! Now we're talkin'!" He said, pumping his fist.

"This dolphin keeps watching me..." Miyuki said, as a dolphin was slowly shuffling sideways to look at her. Asana then gave the glass a hard smack, startling the dolphin and causing it to swim away.

"Yeah! Eat shit, dolphins! Get out of here and find a real porpoise in yer life!" Asana said with a grin.

"Asana! Why did you do that?!" Miyuki objected.

"I think dolphins are perverts! He was checkin' you out." Asana accused.

"...Pervert… dolphins?" Miyuki asked, tilting her head.

"Hell yeah! They're the sex perverts of the sea!" Asana exclaimed. "Man, I bet they read nudie mags while they're not busy chasing off sharks and seals."

"I feel like you're making a canon out of this based on complete moon logic that you made up, Asana…" Miyuki said. The students continued their way along the tunnel, finally stepping out after viewing the fish swimming to see the fifteenth floor. Across from the lower floor of the aquarium was another door.

Through that door, the students found a lush garden; fields of various flowers, lush plant life and a single apple tree. "Huh… it's a garden." Junichi said.

"After all that stale hotel air, I'm kind of happy we got a place where like… real oxygen is being made." Izumi said with a sigh.

"P-pollen! Noooo!" Miyuki said, sniffling as her eyes began to water. "I can't stand pollen! It makes my eyes water and… ah… Ah! ACHOO!"

Miyuki began a fit of sneezes, knocking off her glasses. "Ah! My glasses! I can't see a thing!" she exclaimed.

"MiMi, you're a walking accident. I'm kinda shocked you haven't fallen off something and died yet." Asana joked, reaching down to grab her glasses off the ground, cleaning off the dirt with her shirt.

"Th-thanks, Asana… let's just get out of here…" she muttered, wiping her eyes.

"Looks like we gotta cut this short. Seeya guys, We'll go on ahead! Hopefully there are less flowers." Asana said.

"I'm grabbin' one or two of these apples from this apple tree before we go to the next floor, I could use some fiber." Yuuto said, grabbing an apple from a nearby tree and taking a bite out of it, before grabbing a second apple in his hand.

"You mind if I have one?" Sora asked, Yutto shrugging and tossing the unbitten apple to Sora before grabbing another apple. Everyone left the garden after only a few minutes, going to the elevator to go to the fourteenth floor.

The door lead right into the main feature; a massive casino and arcade. Slot machines, poker tables, roulette tables, and all sorts of arcade cabinets, including light-gun games, racing games, dance machines, sports games, and even skeeball for people who like that game for some reason.

"Oh man! This place is so cool!" Touki exclaimed. "We are so going back here after we're done exploring all these floors!"

"Yeaaah.. We really do get distracted easily, don't we?" Junichi pointed out.

"Go to casino! Spend all your money! Watch all your money _disappear~_" Monokuma sang, appearing in front of them, tipping a top hat and spinning a cane.

"That's kind of a lot of set up for a room we're only going to explore later, Monokuma." Touki said.

"Look, I had this bit set up for weeks-`

"We've stated we'll kind of do a runthrough of the remaining rooms. You KNOW we agreed on that, you're monitoring us 24/7!" Rinne interjected.

"I… I wanted to do the bit. I… I brought this tophat… and the cane… and…" Monokuma sighed, becoming more and more discouraged. "I… I try really hard for these jokes. I write these for hours… days, even. I just want some appreciation from you guys and… you don't laugh at anything I say…" Monokuma said, sinking down and holding his top hat to his chest. "No one appreciates how hard I try."

"You're trying to get us to kill each other!" Junichi objected.

"Sometimes! I try to be funny the rest of the time!" Monokuma shot back. "Have you guys ever thought that all I wanted was someone to think I was funny!?"

"...Would you stop the killing game if we admitted you were funny?" Rinne asked.

"Hmmm…." Monokuma said, tapping his chin. "Well… no. Bu-"

"Alright, we're done here." Rinne interrupted, putting her hands in her pockets. "We're done here! Let's get a move on." she called, walking off.

"W-wait! I have backup dancers! C'mon guys, this was my best joke! Just… Can you come back?!" Monokuma shouted as the rest of the group slowly walked from him. "C'mooooon.. Everybody will get bored unless there's a joke in EVERY room! Do you guys think your personalities are entertaining at all…?"

"Buzz off, Bear." Asana said.

"Well.. uhm… come back if you guys want to see the backup dancers, okay!? They're dressed like showgirls n' stuff because Las Vegas!" Monokuma shouted.

"...Junichi, don't try to stop me." Touki said, tempted to turn back. 

"They're probably also Monokumas." Koba pointed out.

"I mean, they _are _bu-" Monokuma said.

"Peace!" Touki called back in a deep, mocking shout..

"You guys can't do this to me, man… You're tanking my career!" Monokuma shouted, throwing his tophat onto the ground and stomping on it as the students entered the elevator to the next floor.

"Do you know how many floors opened up?" Sora asked Koba. "There's supposed to be 21 floors but this feels like one hundred."

"We're on the last one, and according to the handbook… this floor contains four student labs and a clinic." Koba said, looking over his handbook.

"So, who's lab do you think we're gonna see?" Yuuto asked.

"I'm still kinda wondering what Monokuma will even put in my lab." Junichi said.

"Hmm… Various games of chance?" Miyuki theorized.

"Like… a slot machine or those terrible fortune teller paper origami things I made in primary school?" Touki asked.

"...Both? How should I know? I could open my lab door and the entire room is just made of fire for how little I know about 'luck' as a talent." Junichi said as the elevator door opened. The students saw Saya and Chiwa standing by the four doors of the labs.

"Ah, good to see you've joined us. We have Koba's, Suba's, Ashikawa's and Takayanagi's labs available." Saya began as the group walked up.

"Well, that answers that, I guess," Touki mentioned, hands on his hips.

"...Seriously, we don't get to see my lab?" Junichi asked, somewhat disappointed.

"I'd hardly consider the lab of the Ultimate Lucky Student worth any value. Now, before we begin opening, I think we can all agree that Suba's lab is off-limits," Saya said.

"Oh, don't tell me you're gonna play some 'respecting the dead' card even though you hated Katsuya's guts…" Daichi said.

"No, but the lab of the Ultimate Hunter means the possibility of weapons and traps. While I would prefer to trust the majority of you to not attempt another murder after Suba's execution, I would rather not leave things to chance," Saya elaborate.

"Does that mean that Rinne's is going to be full of machine guns 'n shit?" Yuuto asked.

"Only one way to find out," Rinne said, pulling out her student handbook. She pressed it to the scanner, getting a beep of confirmation. She opened the door to find walls lined with silver sheet metal, and weapon racks on each wall; each one with dozens of rifles, pistols, machine guns, knives, grenade launchers, knives, grenades, and the most dangerous of them all, knives. "Goddamn!" Rinne exclaimed, eyes wide at seeing nearly 300 weapons packed into a single room. Along with that were tables for maintenance and repair, shelves full of ammunition and targets hanging from the ceiling.

"Yeaaaah… those are definitely guns." Sora said matter-of-factly. "We're just going to be a bunch of teenagers with guns now." Sora said, adjusting the brim of his hat. "Probably a terrible idea, really."

"This reminds me of one of your music videos you wer-" Izumi began, Sora holding up a hand.

"First of all it was a short movie, and second of all I hated it. Third of all, stop it." Sora stopped her, dismissively.

"M-maybe we should keep this lab l-lab shut too… I mean, since it's full of guns." Miyuki suggested, horrorstruck at the view in front of her.

"No! Don't shut it! We could fuckin' armed insurrection this bear guy if we all took these guns." Rinne argued.

"Yeaaaah. About that." Monokuma said, standing behind them. "The guns won't fire if you point at me. They're advanced, high tech military guns… They don't shoot at people who have the proper RFID Signature. If you pointed at me, I'd just laugh at you." Monokuma explained. "Then you'd die."

"...Goddamnit, he knows about RFID implants?" Rinne growled. "Who the hell gave you those!? That's top secret level technology!"

"Same people who built the Monokumas. I'm smarter than the average bear, Rinne! You think I'm just gonna give you guys hundreds of firearms without making sure you couldn't use them on little ol' me? Ruahahaha~ Keep dreamin' and maybe you'll find a way out too. But I wouldn't-" Monokuma rambled before suddenly jumping to the left as a knife stabbed into the wall behind him, neatly cutting his plush fur. Monokuma looked at who threw the knife, seeing Rinne balancing another bowie knife on the tip of her finger by the blade.

"What the fuck?! Do all of you bitches got knives on you?! Where the hell did you get those?!" Daichi asked.

"I bought them at the mini-mall, it was buy two get one free." Rinne explained. "For the record, Chiwa doesn't have a knife, she has a toy bunny rabbit."

"His name's Socrates!" Chiwa protested.

"I don't need a knife!" Asana exclaimed.

"If I had a knife, I'd probably fall on it with how clumsy I am." Miyuki said sheepishly.

"It… it's a chef's knife. Thank you very much." Izumi corrected, with an awkward laugh. "It's not supposed to be used for anything but cooking!"

"It's my babysitting knife." Airi curtly explained. "It's for in case someone breaks into the house I'm sitting at. I can also use it to break a lock if the need arises."

"That's still WAY too close to 50% for my liking. The fuck's wrong with you women!?" Daichi exclaimed.

"Don't fuck with me, bear. I don't need guns to kill whoever's running the show. I can garrote the son of a bitch with a shoelace if I need to." she warned. "I can dodge the spears that you nailed Junichi with. If the traitor was any of us, do you think they can fucking take a killing machine they trained me to be? If you want a war, I can make one." She threatened.

"Oh, you can dodge Gugnir, can you? You think you're all that, Mukuro Ikusaba? Think you can take a whole pack of Fenrirs?" Monokuma taunted. "You really wanna threaten the lives of 13 innocent people to try and kill me? What will your C.O. think when they catch wind of you murdering people on live TV on a whim?" Monokuma mentioned. "Remember your secret… Your C.O is being court martialed. If you turn out to be murdering teenagers they'll put him in front of a firing squad!"

"...Live TV?" Rinne asked, blinking and turning to one of the security cameras.

"Yep! Smile, you're on MonoKamera!" Monokuma teased, waving to the camera. "Do you reaaaallly think I would spend all this time and money watching you kill each other because I'm trying to get over some teenage ennui? I have a message I have to preach, gurl." Monokuma announced.

"We're being watched?! Who would watch this!?" Junichi exclaimed.

"Remember when I said I'm trying to save the world? I meant it! This is to teach society a lesson about itself." Monokuma argued. "History repeats itself if we don't learn from it! So this killing game is live streamed for posterity!" Monokuma stated. "By the way, you're really popular, like… 5 million concurrent viewers! That's better than most video game releases."

"Did you just say you were going to kill us!?" Izumi asked, eyes wide with panic.

"If you got in my way. You guys are fine, just don't think I'm not deathly serious with my threats. So Rinne, feeling froggy? Wanna jump me right here? I don't gotta spear you. Izumi's an easy target." Monokuma warned.

"...Did you just say what I thought you said?" Rinne asked

"I guess I did say that, Rinne. It's your special regulation. If you attack me… I'll kill every other student as punishment. Ooh! Even better! Every time you attack me, a student's gonna die! I won't count that first knife as an attack, unless you wanna, ah… what's the saying? Oh yeah, press your _luck_… " Monokuma said, drawing out the last word. "I'll start with Junichi. You can dodge the spears, but Junichi? He's practically a magnet for them! Ruahahahaha!" Monokuma said with a cackle. Rinne shuffled in front of Junichi, putting a body between him and Monokuma.

"Katsuya was a dickface, but he was right about the fact that Junichi is currently a liability, and the easiest person to kill."

"Can you guys not call me a liability while I'm right here? It's like all my bad dreams are happening at once when you guys talk like that… It feels like we're going to start talking about how shitty my grades were in middle school next." Junichi stated, trying to ease some of the tension with a joke.

"So, how about it, Rinne? Think you can block a shot from Gungnir before it hits Junichi? Think you can pry off five Fenrirs before they chainsaw his stupid face off?" Monokuma taunted. "I wonder…"

Rinne glared, knife hand shaking before Koba grabbed her wrist. "We'll have to think of something else, Rinne. Let's try and gather as much information as we can." Koba explained, before turning to the bear. "Does the rule count for anything Rinne attacks?"

"Just me and the MonoStaff. But I don't want you guys to go killing the MonoStaff either. She can _try_ the Fenrirs, but that's just suicide. One can take on a fully manned APC!" Monokuma exclaimed.

"...The hell's an APC?" Yuuto asked.

"Armored personnel carrier. It's pretty much a lightweight tank manned by 3 to 6 fully trained soldiers." Rinne explained before taking a deep breath and turning Koba. ".."New Objective: Gather intel on new floors. Find possible escape routes. New Objective: Accepted." Rinne said in a calm monotone, smiling at Koba. Koba smiled back, letting go of her wrist.

"I think what Monokuma said could be helpful later on, if we can figure out a way to fight the Fenrirs without… y'know, horribly dying and being sawn in half." Touki said.

"Callback! Woo!" Monokuma shouted.

"What?" Koba asked.

"Sorry, I love references to previous works." Monokuma said.

"He's just gonna be stupid, ignore him." Yuuto warned.

"Right… we got two more labs, right? The ones that are clearly less… dramatic than the other two, that's for sure." Sora said.

"Yeah! You got yours, right MiMi?" Asana asked.

"Oh! R-right!" Miyuki exclaimed, scrambling to pull out her handbook. "M-mine won't be full of guns! I'm pretty sure it might even be like my writing s-studio."

Miyuki opened up her lab, seeing the room was wall-to-wall not with guns, but books. There was a massive, leather padded spinning chair sitting in front of an angled table with parchment on it. There were several fountain pens, and a large vial of ink sitting on the lip of the table that was level to the ground. Miyuki ran into a... rather sluggish dash, hopping into the large leather writer's chair and letting it spin to a stop. "Y-yes! I can feel my muse coming back. Ahhh~ This is perfect!" Miyuki said ecstatically.

"Hell yeah! Double-leg those words, MiMi!" Asana shouted, pumping her fist. "Break creativity's wrist!" 

"Okay. That's one good thing… Let me check mark that versus the wall of bad shit that's happened to us the last few days." Yuuto joked.

"Something about being comfortable makes my creativity happen a lot easier. We're still in a killing game, but it helps a ton being in a place like this… It even has a fireplace!" Miyuki exclaimed.

"Yeah, we can burn books for warmth!" Touki said, Miyuki scrambling from her chair and trying to guard as many books as she could with her body.

"N-nnooo!" Miyuki said, backing herself against the bookshelf. "Y-you stay away from my books!"

"Kidding, jeez…" Touki said. "I'm not that fucked up.. If you found a place you can be yourself in, you do you."

"You're just saying that so Asana doesn't crunch you like a plastic bottle." Yuuto said.

"Yeah, that too." Touki said. "Man why do all the girls have to be either hot, scary, or both? It's horrible."

"Oh yeah. We should all be Ultimate bakers n' babysitters n' home makers for ya… Jeez. Have you ever even met a girl with interests before?" Asana mocked. "Go read naughty magazines!"

"You act like going to school with an assassin, an MMA champion, Saya Goddamn Kiruma, and whatever the heck Airi is as 'normal' and regular people like Izumi or Miyuki are the weird outliers."

"I take umbrage to that, are you going to let your honor be disparaged?" Saya argued with the other girls.

"I'd defend you, but you fired me…" Izumi said with an awkward laugh. Chiwa walked over and gave Touki a hard kick to the shin.

"O-ow! That's assaulting the press! Not cool!" Touki cried, grabbing his shin.

"The press is being a real dingdong right now." Chiwa said.

"...Did you call me a dingdong?" Touki asked.

"Mhm. Now then, we have one more lab to inspect, right?" Chiwa said, getting a nod from Koba.

"Right. My lab," Koba said, opening up the lab. The lab looked like a private study with a dusty bookcase stuffed with books, antique grandfather clock and a small fireplace. There was a desk carved from dark oak, a filing cabinet sat next to it. On the other end of the room was a table with equipment lined in a row across it; a small laptop, spectrometer, a set of brass scales, collection of test tubes.

"Well… it's not the lab I lost in that fire, but I guess it's a good start." Koba said.

"We'll definitely get more use of this lab than others. The spectrometer can be used to study the chemical composition of anything put in its analysis tray. It also probably has a database of materials it knows the chemical composition of for comparison." Koba explained.

"How do you know it has chemical references?" Junichi asked.

"It looks similar to the one in my detective's office." Koba replied. "It's not a perfect replica, like I said. But it will help in a worst case scenario. Hrm… I wonder if my old files were copied over…" he said as he walked over to the filing cabinet. He opened to find that all the pages have been replaced with spoof ones. "...Notes about the sasquatch?"

"Wait, seriously?" Junichi said, walking over to look at some of the files. "...What are these? How to become a speed based superhero? Plans for virus bombs? UFO sightings? Why tuna is the superior mental food?"

"Jokes. They're all jokes. He's replaced every single one of my folders with jokes and nonsense." Koba said. "There's no copies of my old cases…"

"So besides the investigation tools, this room is kind of useless and won't give us any information on where we are." Touki said.

"Then we'll have to focus on intel and locating an exit," Rinne said. "Who's with me?"

Koba shut the filing cabinet. "I'm going with, of course. How about you, Junichi?"

"I'll pass. I gotta get some food in me." Junichi said.

"Then I guess I'm out. I'll be needed at my diner," Izumi added.

"I think MiMi's gonna be busy with writing and I'm gonna be setting up the spa date, see who's comin' and all that!" Asana explained.

"Guess I'll get lunch too." Touki said.

"I'll join in on the investigation. I had to miss a few of the rooms due to bad air," Saya said, giving a glare to Daichi.

"Yeah, fuck you too," Daichi muttered

"Well, you guys have fun looking at stuff. I need a break, man…" Yuuto said, stretching his arms.

"We'll meet up after the women get back from Asana's spa day with the results of what we've found." Koba said. "We'll meet at the lounge."

"Why not earlier than that?" Izumi asked.

"I'm pretty sure everybody being able to have a break is almost entirely a good thing. It would relieve some tension from yesterday's trial." Saya said.

"Right," Chiwa said. "So, we'll be going with Koba and Takayanagi?"

"Exactly." Saya said with a nod.

"I'm gonna do some dives off the board!" Rokuro chimed in.

"When you're done lookin' at stuff feel free to join us in the hot springs! I intend to be there at least a few hours after lunch." Asana said to Saya, Rinne and Chiwa.

"I'm still not interested in being a lobster, but I wouldn't mind swimming a little bit at the pool." Chiwa replied, hugging her rabbit to her chest.

"I'll join up after investigation." Rinne said.

"I'll keep an eye on Chiwa if you want to spend the day, Kudo." Saya offered.

"Sure. Guess we'll take a break then," Airi said. "The days have felt weirdly long so far."

"Yeah, but hey, maybe things will start to speed up a bit soon." Touki said. "C'mon, bro. Race ya to Izumi's!"

Touki ran off, Junichi chasing after him. "H-hey! Wait up, you two! What are you going to eat if I'm not there?!" Izumi called, following them. "I don't want to run while I have my chef knife on me!"

The rest of the groups went their separate ways. Koba, Rinne, Chiwa and Airi went to investigate the rooms. Asana and Rokuro headed to the floor with the pool and spa to get things ready while Daichi drifted off to find a place away from others. Yuuto and Sora were the last to leave. "So… jam session in my room?" Yuuto asked.

"Sure," Sora said as the two left the hall, walking over to the line of students waiting at the elevator.


	22. Chapter 2, Daily Life 4

Chapter 2: Afraid of Water (Daily Life 4)

Junichi threw the fork onto his empty plate, rubbing his belly with a content sigh. "Ahhh… that hit the spot." he said as Izumi gathered up the dishes.

"Yeah, good work Izumi." Touki said, giving a thumbs up.

"Thanks, you guys. It's been great to have this lab," Izumi said with a smile.

"You come up with a name for the diner yet?" Touki asked.

"No, not yet. I've been brainstorming a lot of names, but nothing's really clicked for me." Izumi said, putting a hand to her chin in thought when the door to her lab suddenly slammed open.

"Ahhh! What the hell was that?!" Junichi exclaimed, turning around to see Asana standing at the doorway.

"Yo! Izzy! It's hot tub party time! Get a move on!" Asana shouted,

"...I thought it wasn't a hot tub?" Izumi pointed out.

"...You know what I mean, dingbat. Go to the place with the pool!" Asana said, grabbing the door and slamming it shut. Izumi, having covered her ears from the second door slam, uncovered her ears and let out a small sigh.

"Don't student handbooks have a messaging system?" Junichi asked. "Couldn't she just message you or something?"

"Huh… it doesn't," Touki said, checking his handbook. "That's weird, why don't we have a way to message people? That'd make things way easier."

"Well… huh, that's a good point," Monokuma said as he popped up. "I mean, I've done twenty of these Killing Games, but I've never had anyone use a messaging program? I may have to get to work on this…"

"Wait, seriously? That's all we had to do?" Junichi asked.

"I know! I dunno how no one ever brought up the idea! I mean, I'd have to make sure it's local to prevent any communication from reaching the outside world… One killing game someone snuck a device on here that opened an IM client and called in the calvary before the school blew up."

"How does someone make 20 of something, and nobody stops them? or does something to change the laws or.. I don't know, people get bored and move on. You'd think someone would catch you after the twentieth killing game." Touki noted.

"Yeah, especially if you're livestreaming it. Someone's gonna find us if you're showing this on the internet, right?" Izumi added.

"Eh, Monokuma's more of a legacy role. Junko Enoshima, then like… a computer one. Then some old guy… and then there was that Children of Junko cult, then Monaca Towa came back from space and gave it a shot, Then a guy with three personalities did like 4 killing games before they got caught. Then there was the American Killing Game… that one was kind of bad. And… hrm, Murder Boat… then some weird 24 hour puzzle thing like it was one of those Spike Chunsoft games-"

"Fire Pro?" Junichi asked.

"No! Not Fire Pro! Don't interrupt!" Monokuma barked. "And uh… Did I say murder boat? Oh yeah, I did. Then there was the killing middle school, that one also kind of sucked. And… man, a lot of those other killing games were boring... then there was Danganronpa 15 where they lost the FIRST class trial. That was hilarious. Hmmm…" Monokuma hummed, trying to tap into his memory. "The 19th one was very interesting, but anyway! It was a soft reboot, so a lot of things changed. The 20th one was a'ight, the villain was kind of a wackjob and sapped some of the excitement. We're on the HAVOC Arc now!"

"There's story arcs? Isn't this real life?" Junichi asked.

"Yeah, but people like narrative n' stuff. If there's a throughline more people will want to watch all of them in a row. It retains viewers compared to if each one was its own separate incident." Monokuma explained. "It's basic marketing! I'm a big Danganronpa fan, I've watched replays of every single one!"

"...Were you the mastermind of 20?" Junichi asked.

"Oh god no, that guy was bonkers!" Monokuma said with a laugh. "Poor bastard works for the same organization I do, but he was such a nutjob that I feel like he set us back more than gave us credibility. He nuked Kyoto for pete's sake!"

"Why do you keep comparing us to people we haven't met?"

"Eh, people really liked the first two Danganronpas. But you can only have so many character archetypes. I picked you guys because you were all in the same class, but it really feels like you're all just Danganronpa 2 again." Monokuma explained. "The next couple of Killing Games weren't as good, so none of the students 'stuck' with me."

"I don't really 'act' a certain way. This is kind of how I always act… It's not like I'm trying to be interesting. I didn't really pick the things I'm interested in, I just sorta did what I thought was fun." Junichi said.

"And how." Monokuma taunted.

"Hey! That's not what I meant!" Junichi objected.

"Annnyway, The villain is sort of inspired by the last one. I guess that's a vicious cycle of this kind of thing, huh? Junko caused a generation of weirdos to carry on her legacy without even meeting a single one of them through media coverage!"

"Are you trying to make a point?" Junichi asked.

"I don't have a point, Junichi." Monokuma said. "I'm not the mastermind. I'm just a vessel, the one who operates me have their own weird idiosyncrasies about them. We're in the digital age, so I do have my own personality outside of what the mastermind wants me to do!"

"...Do you like seeing us like this, like… the AI monokuma and not the guy running the machine?"

"Are you asking if I'm aware of the things I'm doing and if I have ethics? That's kind of a tough question to ask a robo-bear like me." Monokuma said.

"Am I talking to the robot now?" Junichi asked, leaning down to look at the bear.

"I guess so, the mastermind's busy so I'm running on auto-" Monokuma replied,before being cut off.

"Hey, Junichi!" Touki called

"Huh? What? What's up, Touki?" Junichi asked, turning to see Touki stood at the entrance to Izumi's lab.

"You gonna keep arguing with the teddy bear or what?" Touki asked, nudging his head out the door. "The girls should be in the bathhouse in a few minutes, right?"

"So? It's supposed to be a girl thing. I'm pretty sure they don't want my pasty ass in there with them." Junichi said.

"Oh, we're not gonna be joining them. We're gonna do like… the thing men have been known to do for millenia. Appreciate the beauty of women!" Touki offered.

"Uhhh… Why do you think I'd be interested in that?" Junichi asked. Touki walked over and leaned against the table.

"I didn't think your door swung that way!" Touki joked.

"Not like that! I… I like girls but I wouldn't want to.. I dunno… look at them without them saying it's cool first." Junichi said, clearly embarrassed.

"Look, Junichi, buddy. I didn't wanna say this, but… you've been pretty down since the class trial. You've gotten a little better, but you have this aura of negativity around you and I feel like it's only gonna keep getting worse. What's wrong with a little hijinks? You're not killing anybody." Touki said, trying to egg Junichi on.

"Yeah but… It feels kind of gross to do that. Looking at women that I know… I don't know why, but something about that bugs me." Junichi said.

"You sayin' you don't like busty women?"

"I do, bu-"

"Ha! I just made you admit your type, you like busty gals!"

"N-not like that!"

"So you'd like it if they were strangers?"

"No! You're… stop it, you're making me feel embarrassed, dude. I mean.. I guess I'd be more okay with it if I -didn't- know them, but I do. And it makes it weird, alright? I respect women!"

"You can respect women and think they're still hot, dude."

"Isn't that kind of... We're peeping on them, man. That's messed up."

"What else am I supposed to do to cheer you up? Are you just going to collect cobwebs? Look man.. You don't have to like it. Just humor me for this, dude. Even if it goes wrong it'll snap you out of your funk."

"I…"

"Junichi, do you like how you feel right now?"

"Not really…"

"And do you know what you need to do to fix it?"

"I… I don't really know what to do to make myself feel better."

"Then why not try something that makes you uncomfortable!? You don't know until you do it, man. That's life, that's being spontaneous, dude!" Touki argued. "If you can't figure out what would make you feel better, try throwing stuff and see what sticks!"

"I'm kind of sick of arguing, so fine. But if we get caught I'm saying it's your fault." Junichi said with a sigh.

"All you've got to lose is the respect of your female peers!" Monokuma added.

"Man they never respected me in the first place." Touki said with a laugh.

"...I mean I think Izumi and Miyuki are alright. Asana's pretty cool too, if slightly scary, I wouldn't want them pissed at me either." Junichi explained.

"Not if we don't get caught." Touki said

"Let's just do this before my stomach tells me this is the worst thing I've ever considered doing in my life." Junichi said with a defeated sigh.

"That's the spirit! If you keep doing new things, your brain won't have time to regret it!" Touki said, heading out of the diner.

"That sounds really flawed but fuck it, let's just go already!" Junichi said, getting and follow Touki. The two left for the elevator, Touki taking the lead and hitting the button for the sixteenth floor. As the elevator door opened, Touki leaned up against the wall, shuffling down the hall and nodding to Junichi. Junichi followed suit, the two sliding along the wall until they came up on the hotspring doors.

"Should we get into some swimwear or just go in our normal clothes?" Junichi asked.

"...Aw man! I almost forgot the swim trunks!" Touki exclaimed, slapping his temple and running for the pool hall. "Come on, Junichi!"

"Man, you sure I should go in the water with this injury I have? It's not an open wound anymore but I wouldn't want it to get infected or something."

"This water's filtered and doesn't have chlorine. You'll be fine if ya don't go in the pool." Touki said. Now c'mon! We gotta get some trunks!" 

Junichi shrugged and followed after Touki. He saw Rokuro, clad in bright orange trunks, doing moonsaults off the highest diving board into the deep end. Chiwa was attempting to climb onto a large inflatable Monokuma float. Saya was sat on the edge of the pool, dressed in a white one-piece frilled swimsuit and legs resting it the water close to her knees. The frills were hanging over the front of her chest, and while it showed no skin, the outline of it showed her curvier than normal figure. Something that Touki kept glancing back at.

"Saya! I'm stranded on this floating bear! How do I paddle it back over to you?" Chiwa called.

"You were the one who climbed on it, Chiwa." Saya replied.

"Damn it, why do all the terrible people I meet have to be stacked…? Those are like D cups, man." Touki complained.

"If you look at her for more than three seconds I think she'll murder you." Junichi warned.

"How can you ignore that chest, junichi? Do you have some kind of blinder over your eyes?" Touki asked.

"She terrifies me. I wouldn't want to risk my life to get like three seconds of satisfaction, followed by an agonizing death."

"Heh, your loss, bro." Touki said while Junichi read the description of the MonoMono Bikini Ma-Cheen

_Here at Hanging Garden, we believe in good, wholesome fun. Pools are great, but you can't go swimming without proper swimwear and a shower. The MonoMono Bikini Ma-Cheen is here to help cover your shame with your swimwear from when you came to this University, but for added fun, you've gotta get them for a price! Every five MonoCoins gets you a random student's trunks or bikinis. Will you get the right trunks or the dreadfully wrong ones? Give it everything you got! IIIIIT'S BIKINI TIME!_

"Alright, when I go to your funeral I'll leave some flowers and a 'told you so' on your headstone." Junichi said. "So, why do you need me here? Don't you just have to put in five MonoCoins?"

"Yeah, but you remember what Monokuma said? The Bikini Ma-Cheen will drop a random swimsuit. So unless you want like.. A sling bikini I think we can use your Ultimate Luck to get swim trunks."

'...you know, i don't think luck works the way you think it works. I can't just… luck my way into exactly like what I need to get. If that was the case, I woulda won 3 lotteries by now and bought that race car bed I always complained to my dad that I wanted." Junichi said.

"Yeah, but you got the spot in Hope's Peak and you solved the last Class Trial. I think you got some probability manipulation powers or something," Touki said. "Plus, it's a one-in-sixteen shot of getting the right ones. Hell, one-in-eight without all the ones that already came out.'

Junichi shrugged and reached into his pouch, pulling out five MonoCoins and dropping them into the machine. He turned the dial, a small capsule popping out of the machine and onto the floor. Junichi picked up the capsule and opened it up, getting a pair of red swim trunks. "Huh… they're mine."

"See? Now it's one-in-seven." Touki said, patting Junichi's good shoulder. "Now, get me mine."

Junichi nodded, dropping in another five coins and turning the dial. Another capsule dropped, Touki picking it up and popping it open. Inside was a pair of simple black trunks. "Alright! Two for two!" he cheered.

"Does this place have a dressing room or am I taking my pants off in front of you?" Junichi asked.

"There's changing rooms in the door past the gashapon machine." Saya explained, pointing them to the door.

"Hey, thanks Saya!" Junichi said.

"Though, I'm curious. Nanashima made a point of announcing her intentions for a girl's night at the hot spring… so are you here to join us at the pool, Ando?" Saya asked

"Don't mess this up Junichi. Come up with a good lie." Touki said in his smallest possible voice.

"Ah… well, no. I actually don't think I can swim right now… But ...I thought it might be easier if…" Junichi said, pausing as his brain tried to write some kind of lie that made sense and not something that would blow their cover. "I got my shorts now instead of having to get them from someone else when I actually want to swim. Me and Touki just wanted to see what everyone was doing at the pool."

Saya made a long, low hum as she put folded her hands together, looking over them with her hawklike eyes. Junichi began to gaze at the floor, eyes darting from side to side as Touki looked away and started to whistle.

"Hm… maybe Junichi wants to visit the hotspring to help heal his chest wound. Soothe his muscles a bit…" Chiwa figured, sitting on the Monokuma float as it drifted along the pool.

"Y-yeah! And the girls and boys hots prings have a divider wall. That's clearly what we were doing and not anything else!" Touki said, nodding rapidly.

"...Very well. Go and change." Saya said with a wave of her hand. Touki breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed Junichi, dragging him to the changing rooms. After a brief tangle with Junichi's sling, the two went into the changing stations and quickly changed into their trunks, Junichi looking at himself in the mirror. His injury was… less disgusting than he remembered. Now it just looked like a stitched up, and mostly scabbed over hole. It was still hard to move that arm, but at least he wasn't oozing blood and pus, or being woken up in the middle of the night with bouts of horrifying pain.

But for now, he and Touki made their way for the hot springs on the other side of the hall. Steam drifted slowly out of the cracks in the door. Even opening the door caused the steam to billow in little whirlwinds. The hallway clearly splitting by gender to which side they should walk down. Touki once again lead the way, moving slowly toward the boy's half. The room was filled with the sound of rapid bubbling water and idle chatter filled the silence of the onsen.

"Good job bullshitting Saya, Junichi." Touki said quietly as he slowly stepped down the ladder into the hot tub.

"Uhh.. thanks. So how are we supposed to do this? I'm pretty sure I can't climb that separator, it's like 12 feet high." Junichi explained, following after the Ultimate Journalist.

"Here's the thing… the wall is cross stitched like a wicker basket. The thing is pretty good at blocking the view if you're a few feet away, it's even good at blocking it if you're close to it. But the size of your pupils are like.. As small as a pencil eraser across. If you put your eye right up against it, you should see through." Touki explained. "And that's not all… I'll explain more when we get in the water."

"Alright…" Junichi said, taking to the ladder. "They can't hear us, right?"

Touki just pointed down at the water. "You see that the water's bubbling? That means it's hot enough to produce its own steam… which travels from the heat source at the bottom of the sauna to the surface. Each one of those bubbles are making noise… We might not be able to talk, but we can probably move around." He explained. "Bonus points if Asana's being loud, then we can get away with whispering."

Junichi was soon submerged in the heated water, letting out a relaxed sigh as the bubbles massaged his sore shoulder. "Ahhh… that's the-" Juncihi began before Touki clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Maaan, what did I just tell you about whispering? Here, let me go first." Touki said, slowly swimming toward the wall. Junichi followed, curious as to what Touki was planning. The two were soon up against the wall.

"So… what's the plan?" Junichi asked in a hushed tone as Touki put his hands against the wall. He pushed his finger in between two of the wooden bands lacing the wall and began to wiggle it side to side, wedging his finger into it.

"If I do this right… I should make a little hole to see through." Touki said, carefully circling his finger through the hole to stretch it further. "Almost… almost… got it!" he said, creating a small hole. The hole was big enough to fit an eye through without being seen unless one knew to look for it. "Junichi, I'm a goddamned ninja. Come over here and make a hole."

"I'll pass, don't wanna make it obvious what we're doing. I'll just use your hole," Junichi said, getting a shrug from Touki. Touki peered through the hole, an ever-widening grin on his face. "So… how's the view?" he asked, Touki's smile piquing his curiosity just a bit.

Touki pulled his eye away from the hole and punched his elbow, pumping his other fist. "_Niiiiice!_" he said in a half whisper, drawing out the I as much as possible. "I'm glad most of the hot girls are here."

"Most?" Junichi asked.

"Yeah, it's just missing Saya and we'd have the package deal." Touki said, Junichi shaking his head.

"You are a sad, strange dude…" Junichi said, shuffling over to the hole and lining his eye up to it.

His first sight was Izumi, sitting in the water at about chest level, as Asana tried to comb some of her hair straight. All Junichi could see of her swimsuit was that it was dark blue in color. He kept his eye movements quick to avoid possible eye contact with any of the girls, shifting over to Rinne, who was surfacing from being neck-deep in the water, leaning against the rim.

Rinne looked rather surprising out of her usual all-black combat-driven ensemble, though even her one-piece swimsuit was black. Her jet black hair was no longer in its bun, reaching down to her shoulders. Her body was toned, but not ripped like Asana's, and covered in all scars and burns. Junichi figured they were old wounds from previous missions.

He moved his lone eye over to Airi, noticing some things were… off about her. He couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was how she had the same build as Rinne, with clearly defined abs that did not look to be something your typical babysitter would have. Though Airi was rarely a "typical" babysitter. Junichi had to agree with Chiwa's doubts to Airi's talent. Her fingers were calloused, and he could see a fresh scar on the palm of her right hand. She had a purple colored swimsuit that looked like it was almost made of some kind of satin or vinyl, with a hole cut in the center like a triangle to expose her stomach. Junichi tried to take in as much eye candy as he could, but he couldn't seem to really get into it. Maybe it was because he wasn't as hormonally-focused as Touki or because of the eyepatch that Airi was still wearing even in the hot spring. Along with that, fear of being spotted kept his eye jutting away the second he thought any of them saw him, moving as he saw her left eye turn.

Thankfully, Miyuki's eyes were turned well away from the wall, so he mainly saw her from the back, her bikini was dark pink like her sweater. She had to keep wiping her glasses as the steam fogged up the lenses. Junichi followed Miyuki's line of sight to see Asana turned around and flexing her back. Junichi's eyes widened and he let out a massive grin at the sight he saw.

Asana's swimsuit was backless, and on her back was a full tattoo of a dark cloak wrapped around a woman aiming a bow at a winged eyeball.

"Hell yeah, buddy!" Touki cheered in a hushed tone. "See somethin' you like?" Touki said, trying to peek in the same hole. "Ya see some big jubblies, or like.. are buff girls are your thing?"

"No, man. That tattoo on Asana's back… I recognize it!" Junichi said. "It's Queen Arryd of Trafalgar!"

"...Queen Who of What?"

"From _Journey of the Silver Chariot_! She was the one who taught Phelan how to use a sword! She was the only one to wield the sword of Orichalchos! She's a badass, dude!" Junichi said with an emphatic whisper.

"...I took us here to see boobs and you're freaking out about a tattoo?" Touki said. "Are you chaste? Did you join one of those abstinence youth groups? Do you like guys? Junichi, this is bro talk, you can tell me if you don't like gir-!" Touki said, Junichi holding a hand.

"I'm not… Look. I can look at a girl and admit she's attractive but... I respect them too much to just ogle them like some piece of meat. I'd only feel comfortable putting my hands on them if y'know… they were cool with it. If I wanted to see something tantalizing I'd just go on the internet or buy a magazine, not peep on my friends." Junichi explained in earnest. "Seeing I have something in common with Asana makes me way more interested than her figure ever could." He finished, causing Touki to just sigh and start rubbing his own shoulders bashfully.

"Huh… well, dang. I can see why… why Surumi wanted to hang out with you…" Touki said, sinking into the water in shame. "And here I was trying to cheer you up… and then you go and make me feel like an asshole."

"I don't think you're an asshole. Just.. I feel like you're dictated entirely by hormones." Junichi said. "Like, we're teenagers and I get it. I can be a pervert too, in private at least."

"Dude, how did you get so wise? You've had to had girls chasing you through the halls." Touki said, Junichi having to clamp down his teeth to keep from laughing.

"Pft! Bro, you're making me sound like I'm some sort of suave, charismatic supermodel. Look at me, I'm a pasty, scrawny nerd. I just… I dunno, I listen to people." Junichi said. "I'm not drowning in girls because I'm a pick-up artist… They just like that I actually care about their interests." He explained, as Touki stood up to get out of the water.

"So… that's what I've been missing…" Touki said. "Maybe I should update my sta-OH SHIT!" Touki shouted, falling back into the water with a splash. Junichi turned and saw that Touki had been hit, seeing a white flip-flop floating in the water.

"Huh? What's this doing here?" Junichi said, picking up the offending shoe. He heard a sharp _ahem_ from his side, turning to see Saya standing at the edge of the boy's tub, her other flip-flop tightly gripped in her hand. "Ack! H-hey Saya… how's the pool?" Junichi said, backing against the wall as the Ultimate Student Body President gave a cold glare to him.

Without a word, she whipped the flip-flop right at Junichi, striking him in the forehead. "OW! Watch where you're throwing that thing! I'm injured!"

"Huh? Was that Junichi?" came a voice from behind the wall, sounding like Airi.

"Yeah, and I think I heard Touki…" came another voice, that had to be Izumi.

"Heh! Looks like they wanted to get first dibs on the boy's tub!" Asana's voice with a chuckle.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that…" came Rinne's voice. Junichi heard the sound of splashes coming closer to the wall.

"Huh? What's that Rinne? Is that…" Izumi said, voice trailing off.

"Th-that's a peeping hole! They were sp-spying on us!" Miyuki's voice stammered out.

"I-I'm not here! I'm a hallucination brought on by heat! Junichi's a ghost! He died and is haunting the bathhouse. We're both not here!" Touki called in a desperate panic before Junichi quickly covered his mouth his hand.

"Dude, we're gonna be ghosts if you don't shut up!" Junichi said in a hushed tone.

"I hear perverts! They be peepin' on us!" Asana said, boisterously in a cavewoman-ish tone.

"Well, I think we'll have to deal with this, right Airi?" Rinne asked.

"Took the words out of my mouth." Airi replied. Junichi and Touki heard new splashes and the sound of water dripping on the floor. Touki's eyes widened as he broke off from Junichi.

"Oh fuck, we're dead." Junichi said with terror in his voice. "They're gonna kill us dead!"

"Speak for yourself, dude!" Touki said, swimming over to Saya. "H-hey, Saya. N-no hard feelings, right?! L-look, I got your shoe!" Touki said, reaching for Saya's foot. "H-here ya go! You can have it ba-"

Saya lifted her foot and dropped it right on Touki's head, forcing it into the water and causing bubbles to rise up. She grabbed the sandal from his flailing hand and slowly lifted herself off the rim, using Touki's head to precariously balance herself as she approached Junichi.

"Death to perverts." Saya claimed, picking up her flip-flop and swatting it against her palm, causing some of the water to flick off of it. "One THOUSAND deaths to perverts!" She announced, eyes ablaze.

Junichi scrambled to get out of the hot tub as he heard the doors of the dividing wall open. "I've got Minami!" Saya called, barely able to keep balance as Touki desperately attempted to resurface.

"This is not how I die! This is…Nope! I'm leaving! I'm sorry for bothering you, girls! I'm going to forgetthiseverhappenedBY-" Junichi said as he clambered out of the tub and made for the exit. However, he suddenly felt his arm get grabbed and was jerked over to face Asana.

"Nooooope! Nuh-uh… You ain't going to weasel out of this one, Red." Asana said with a wide, devilish grin.

"...Oh man, I'm screwed… Asana, please! Can you just… think of me as an idiot and just let me leave?"

"I mean, I don't blame ya for wantin' to see this rockin' bod. But, you had to go and be sneaky to do it, and that's just not cool. So, we're gonna hafta mess up your face. You're gonna look like a pug when I'm through with ya." She said with a coy laugh.

"...A P-pug!?"

"Yup! Now hold still, this is gonna hurt me a lot more than it's gonna-" Asana said, rearing back a fist when Saya suddenly fell backward into the water. "Shit! Saya, you al-ack! Damn it, my eyes!" Asana exclaimed as handful of water splashed her eyes.

"H-haha! Gotcha! Junichi, punch it! We need to scramble!" Touki shouted as he finally came up for air. He shoulder checked Saya to cause her to stumble into the water, and ran up to grab Junichi's arm.

"But they're all faster than me!" Junichi objected.

"I don't know, throw things in the way!" Touki said.

"But Rinne's literally a soldier!" Junichi pointed out, panic rising in his voice.

"I mean, I don't really care." Rinne casually mentioned. "I'll go after them I guess but it'll be kind of half assed. You've all got this anyway, it's just two losers."

"L-losers!?" Touki exclaimed as the two scrambled up the steps and out of the hotspring, grabbing a bucket and tossing it to Junichi after scooping some water into it. "Do it! You don't know if you don't try, dude!"

"Get them!" Asana shouted. Airi rushed at Touki with immense, nearly inhuman speed, knocking him to the floor and quickly putting him into a double wristlock. "Hah! Nice work Airi! Kimura his ass! Didn't know babysitters knew how to do that!"

"...I didn't know I knew this either." Airi said, looking up at the ceiling as she wrenched on the poor journalist.

Junichi panicked and tossed the bucket of water, splashing Rinne with it. "..Big mistake." Rinne said, cracking her neck. "Now I'm mildly annoyed, and that's enough for me to hunt you down like a dog. I hope you're ready." she said, softly shifting her legs wider and getting into an almost animalistic stance.

"...Shit. Shiiiiiit." Junichi said, throwing the bucket at her before breaking into a panicked scramble for the door. "WHY DID I DO THAT!?"

Rinne broke the bucket in mid air with a spin kick before giving chase to Junichi, Asana and Miyuki cheering her on. Junichi began to squeak as he shouldered the door open and began running back to the pool facility.

He ran for the elevator, being stopped by Chiwa standing at the doors. "Good afternoon, Ando." she said. "You look more full of life and terror than I'm used to. What can I do for you?" She asked, body wrapped in what appeared to be a yellow duck innertube, Socrates resting on the duck's head.

"AAAAHHH!" Junichi screamed, eyes just looked up at him, tilting her head in confusion.

"That doesn't really help me." Chiwa said as Junichi scrambled past her. "Where are you going?" She asked, turning to watch him run into the elevator and start mashing the close door button, prompting Chiwa to walk in with him.

"The hell away from Rinne!"

"You need to tell me what's going on!" Chiwa said, as the elevator doors closed.

"Hi." Rinne abruptly said, as she was already standing behind Junichi.

"AHH!" He shouted, falling onto his butt. "H-how did you… How!?" 

Rinne shrugged and slammed her foot into his chest, pressing him against the elevator wall. "I'm a Black Ops soldier. You're a dork with a bad arm. I can outrun you in my sleep.

"Oh… so that's what's going on… Saya warned me there were two perverts in the hot springs."

"Ack! The situation's more complicated th-than that, Chiwa! And how did you get past us! We were both at the door!"

"I jumped over your heads."

"Wow… you can do that?" Chiwa asked, impressed.

"Mhm. By planting both my hands against both doors and using that to extend my leap. The only hint would be that the door closed with a slight delay." Rinne explained before turning back to Junichi. "Now, what to do with you? I'm sure Asana, Airi and Saya have Touki taken care of."

"Please don't injure me more than I already am. Rinne, c'mon…." Junichi bargained. "I don't want to actually die because of this! I thought we were gonna work together!"

"Soft tissue damage is not fatal, Junichi." Rinne said, pulling her foot off of him before grabbing Junichi by the hair and lifting him back up.

"I don't like it when you describe it like that!" Junichi said. "L-look, it wasn't my idea! Touki talked me into it! He said it would cheer me up but it just got really awkward and I wanted to leave!" Junichi stammered. "I-I-I… I'm not a slave to my hormones, damn it!"

"...This is weird. Which floor is the elevator going to?" Chiwa asked. "Can I leave?"

"I just sorta hit buttons to close the door, so I don't know either!" Junichi said, still in a panic of being lifted off of his feet. "Uhh… Rinne?" He asked, just getting a glassy eyed glare at him in response. "I'm sorry! Let me go!"

"Hrm…" Rinne stood there and tapped her chin with her index finger before the elevator dinged, the doors opening. "Okay." she said, tossing him out of the elevator. Junichi let out a high pitched scream as he hit the floor.

"Just don't do it again… not don't let me catch you, just don't do it." Rinne said, voice as mellow as ever.

"Got it…" Junichi said as he slowly got back to his feet. Chiwa stepped out of the elevator, walking past Junichi as the doors shut, the elevator taking off. He wasn't quite sure if that had really cheered him up. In fact, right now he just felt like his heart was going to explode from stress.

"Junichi?" a voice came from his side. Junichi let out a yelp and turned, expecting that Airi or Asana had caught up to him. He then saw the familiar blue-violet hair and pink eyes of Dr. Kageri Saito. "Well, hello to you too, Junichi. I see you haven't been following my advice about outside stimuli."

"Hah… hah… d-don't do that. I just… got back from swimming…" Junichi said, trying to regain his composure and cover up what he was doing.

"...Is that so?" Kageri said, walking over. "Perhaps you should consider a new method of exercise if swimming is causing that much adrenaline…"

"Wh-what? Nah, I'm fine…" Junichi said, trying to wave off the Head of MonoMedicine.

"Junichi, I didn't get to be the go-to doctor of the Hanging Garden by being unable to notice simple things like your increased heart rate and... " Kageri said, taking a minute to study Junichi's body. "Your body is flushed, were you in the hot springs? Typically, that's a relaxing thing that reduces stress. But contrasting that with your breathing rate… You seem to be getting over some form of distress." Kageri analyzed. "Were you peeking on somebody and got caught?"

"N-no! I was peeking on them!" Junichi blurted at, Kageri chuckling.

"Ah, so it was several somebodies. Well, perhaps a refill on your medication is in order. I assume apart from your accelerated heart rate, your wound has been improving." Kageri said, stepping back into the clinic.

"Y-yeah," Junichi mumbled, looking at the floor as he shuffled into the clinic. He was definitely not feeling better after this trip to the hot springs…

**17 DAYS REMAIN**


	23. Chapter 2, Daily Life 5

**Authors Note: I apologize for the long delay. My co-writer quit, and there was a lot of squabbling and conflict and I thought this fic would be dead. But I care too much about it, and so I return. I'm quite rusty, so this might take some time to go back to the level of quality and work rate I used to have. **

Chapter 2: Afraid of Water (Daily Life 5)  
_  
Ding dong, Bing bong._

"Gooooooooooooooooooooo-" Monokuma was cut off by an extended coughing fit. "Goo- Ack! hyyyaaaack! Oh-oh my god. That hurts so much…" He exclaimed, clearing his throat and taking a few breaths. "I think I'm dyin here…" He muttered.

"Uhm… hey. Good morning, I guess, it's 7 AM and all that and the day is looking… pretty choice. I need to avoid shouting or I'll start coughing again." Monokuma said, Saya letting a low, guttural sigh as she slowly lifted her head off the pillow. She got up and went to have a quick shower and get dressed. She wanted to get things done as quickly as possible today. She had plans for the morning, an announcement to make, and a no tolerance policy for any hijinks or tomfoolery, whoever uses those terms these days.

After her shower came another long, losing battle with that pesky upright strand of hair. "C'mon…. I shampooed and conditioned you. Go down." she complained, swatting at it. Saya threw up her hands, giving up after it was clear the accursed strand was to stay for now. She got dressed in another copy of her school uniform before heading off for Izumi's lab.

She met with Chiwa at the elevator, noticing some minor changes to Chiwa's attire. Instead of Saya's royal blue arm ribbon, she had blue painter's tape around one of her arms, with matching kanji written in white out correction tape. It stood out on Chiwa's black school dress and orange tie as quite the contrast. Her brown locks of hair were now in two low pigtails draping her shoulders, with the very same crooked upstanding strand that Saya had.

"Good morning, Chiwa… I uhh… I hope you're having a splendid day." Saya said, getting a small bow.

"Good morning, Chiwa. Apart from Monokuma's terrible morning greeting, I got a good amount of sleep." Chiwa said, adjusting Socrates in her arms. "Are you going to Igarashi's diner as well?"

"Not for long. I have plans to announce something special for the remaining students, so I want to be properly prepared." Saya said as she hit the call button on the elevator. Chiwa nodded and joined her as the elevator opened, the two heading down to the 20th floor.

The elevator trip was quick, the two stepping out and walking up to the door for Izumi's lab. Saya opened the door, seeing it empty. "Oh, hey Saya. Hey, Chiwa. What can I do for you?"

"Something to go today, Igarashi. Have you got any other guests so far?" Say asked.

"I feel like after yesterday the guys and the girls have been avoiding each other. Everyone is either getting food to go, or eating at the dining hall instead." Izumi said, checking her cabinets for something quick to make. "It's not just because of what Junichi and Touki did, is it?"

"No. Kakihara avoids everyone and Hitose avoids you. There's also a general feeling of separation between students."

"I'm not... really sure what I can do about that." Izumi said, not even looking at Saya as she cooked some bacon and eggs, readying containers for them.

"The students need a leader, and I intend on following through with that."

"Everyone's still scared of you, Saya…" Izumi pointed out.

"I already have a solution to that… and it's bureaucracy." Saya explained.

"Uhm… what's that?" Izumi asked, setting down the styrofoam box, plastic fork and a wrapped streusel cake for Chiwa.

"You'll see. I don't want to say before everyone's here. It'd be too repetitive," Saya said

"Ohhhh… great." Izumi said, clearly annoyed. Saya didn't respond to her and simply gathered their breakfast before leaving for the diner. Saya and Chiwa made it back to the elevator, Saya handing the streusel cake to Chiwa as they went down to the 18th floor.

Saya soon crossed through the elevator doorway, down the hall and into the lounge. The two ate breakfast while they waited for the other students to arrive. The first to arrive was Airi, who sat down next to Chiwa. Then came Sora, who took Saya's left. Next came Asana, who was still fired up from her morning run as she dragged along Miyuki, who was still trying to catch her breath.

Next were Yuuto and Rokuro. Yuuto sat right next to Sora while Rokuro went for the back of the couch, Saya smacked at him with her yardstick, forcing him to jump over Yuuto's head and past the couch onto the floor. Izumi came through the longue door next, keeping herself as far from Saya as possible still, though occasionally glancing to Sora. Then came Touki and Junichi, who sat themselves with Izumi, though with a slight bit of leeriness after the hot springs incident.

Rinne walked over, Junichi giving her as much space as possible as she sat next to Yuuto. Koba walked in, bridging the gap on the couch between Junichi and Rinne. Finally, Daichi walked in and took his spot as far from the others, though he was now drifting a little closer to the couch. He hung a cigarette from his mouth, lighting it up and taking a drag.

Saya sighed and glared at Daichi, knowing she would deal with him in due time. She stood up, walking in front of the TV and shutting off the console everyone was playing from. A roar of annoyed, angered groans followed.

"...Are you gonna keep doing that?" Yuuto asked, tossing the controller onto the table.

Saya simply ignored it and cleared her throat, standing stiff with her hands behind her back. But, as she opened her mouth, another voice broke the silence. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make!" came Monokuma's voice. Saya stood with her mouth open in silence as the bear jumped up in front of her, landing on the coffee table. Saya shut her mouth and glared at the mascot.

"Do you mind?" Saya asked, Monokuma turning to face Saya.

"Do YOU mind?" Monokuma asked mockingly. "I am your headmaster-"

"But this isn't a school," Chiwa noted.

"I AM YOUR HEADMASTER!" Monokuma shouted, stomping his foot on the table. "I'll eat your bunny rabbit! Ya… ya interrupting lil nincompoop!"

"You leave Socrates out of this!" Chiwa cried, holding the rabbit tighter.

"Anyone else wanna be a little smartass cuz I got something to tell all of you people!" Monokuma said, hopping a few times on the coffee table. "And it's about your next motive…"

"Wait, what? Another motive? It's only been a day!" Junichi exclaimed.

"I know, but it felt really long. I was really amped to talk about this motive!" Monokuma objected.

"Already?" Izumi asked.

"Eh, you guys win. Guess I'll reveal the motive tomorrow." Monokuma said with a defeated shrug.

"...You're joking right?" Miyuki asked.

"Ah, yeah it's fine. I'll just do it tomorrow I guess."

"This fuckin' bear… you were just gonna announce them for tomorrow, weren't you?" Daichi asked.

"I mean… yeah. Aren't I cheeky?" Monokuma said with a chuckle.

"So why not tell us now that we know there's gonna be a motive?" Rinne asked.

"Suspense! Now you all are gonna be super tense for the whole day!" Monokuma exclaimed, flailing his arms.

"...I mean, I don't feel tense." Sora said.

"Yeah, but there's an underlying tense atmosphere. You're shivering in anticipation!" Monokuma said, body shaking to simulate the shivers.

"We're really not…" Asana said, rolling her eyes.

"I mean, if anything it's kind of relieved and disappointed…" Miyuki said.

"Man, disappointed is my default emotion." Junichi said, lounging into his seat. "So you're doing a thing tomorrow… is that all you're doing today?"

"Hey! I uhh… Look I know I made a time limit and everything but every minute is not gonna be a thrill ride. Can you guys just… act tense?" Monokuma pleaded.

"Well, now that you want us to act tense, you can forget that." Yuuto said. "You want us to play along with your game, but if it gets you miffed, why would we stop being chill about it?"

"Mrhh…" Monokuma murmured, slowly shaking.

"Look man, stop trying to get us to like you. You've insulted us, kidnapped us, and forced us to kill a guy while threatening to kill all of us if we failed. It's not gonna happen, and it just feels awkward." Touki added.

"So stop acting like you're relatable. If you really were trying to be liked you'd just open the front doors and let us walk out without being murdered by your freaky robot dogs." Sora added.

"Bah! You're all just a bunch of spoil sports! I don't need you! I got cool friends!" Monokuma shouted. "They're gonna give me MILKSHAKES and teach me how to ride a SKATEBOARD, and not laugh at me when I eventually FALL OFF!" he raved before disappearing.

"Well, that was a fine distraction…" Saya said before clearing her throat. "Now then, as I was saying. After the actions of certain… unscrupulous individuals." she began, firing off a cold glare to Junichi and Touki. The two stood still and remained silent, not wanting to draw any more attention to themselves.

"Along with the unfortunate nature of our first class trial, that we as an assembled group require proper leadership and guidance. As such, I would like to formally introduce the Hope's Peak Academy Student Council!" Saya declared. A silence fell over the group, followed by murmurs. "Hold your questions after the members are announced."

Izumi held up a hand

"What did I just say!?" Saya barked out.

"Oh. Uhh.. Sorry." she muttered.

"I'm going to pick the most talented, least capricious, and most even keeled people of the group to maintain stability and morale. I will be the Council President, of course. And my Vice President will be Chiwa."

"Thank you, Saya." Chiwa said with a bow.

"You're welcome. Joining us will be the Head of Fitness, our most physically capable and determined student…" Saya said, taking a moment to let the silence hang, "Asana Nanashima."

"Hell yeah! I'm gonna make sure y'all are in the best shape!" Asana shouted, jumping from the coach and pumping her fist.

"Oh, come on!" Rokuro shouted in objection. "I'm in way better shape than Asana!"

"Hah! In your dreams, rock-biter!" Asana said with a cocky chuckle before lifting her shirt to show her abs. "You can cut a steak on my abs!"

"I'm gonna challenge your position!" Rokuro shouted, jabbing a finger in her face.

"Oh yeah!? Bring it you loser!" Asana shot back, slamming one fist into her hand.

"You can't challenge for the position, you were assigned for the position, Asana!" Saya countered. "You can't just resign if you lost!"

"WE'RE ARM WRESTLING! BEST OF A HUNDRED!" Rokuro challenged.

"IT'S ON PUNK!" Asana yelled, the two rushing out of the lounge. "MiMi! You better be the ref on this I am NOT letting him cheat!"

"I do not approve of this wager! Get back here!" Saya called after the two.

"They uh… they left already." Chiwa said.

"...Guess I'll go." Miyuki said with a defeated sigh, getting up from the couch and walking out of the lounge

"Hold it right there, Ashikawa!" Saya shouted, Miyuki stopping dead in her tracks. "After all, you will need to be here to accept your position as the Council's Record Keeper."

"Huh? Record Keeper?" Miyuki asked. "But creative writing isn't the same a-"

"It's writing, isn't it?" Saya pointed out.

"I mean, not really, but…" Miyuki said, trailing off a little.

"It involves penmanship, correct?" Saya asked.

"Well, yeah, but not-" Miyuki said before being interrupted.

"And memorizing details, correct?" Saya continued.

"Y-yeah, but.. You're gonna hit me with your ruler if I say no, aren't you?"

"Of course not," Saya said, whacking Touki as he shouted objections of double standards. "I just fail to see the problem here."

"Why not Touki? He's a journalist." Izumi offered.

"Yeah! I'm always keeping notes for stories!" Touki pointed out. Saya calmly walked over and slammed her heel into his forehead. "O-ow! My brain!" he shouted.

"Igarashi, I should not have to remind you of Minami's past behavior, correct?" Saya asked.

"No…" Izumi said. "I mean.. He did totally look at us while we were in the bathhouse yesterday."

"And was punished accordingly." Saya said with a nod.

"You slapped me so many times… How could someone do that to another human?" Touki asked, Saya grinding her heel further. "Ow-ow-ow-ow-OW!"

"I will not reward such a cretinous individual with a position of power." Saya said.

"Yeah, but he got punished, so he's learned his lesson, right?" Izumi argued.

"You'd think so, but Minami's type rarely learn from punishment. In fact, I'm beginning to suspect he is getting aroused by the idea." Saya said.

"I would if my skin didn't hurt." Touki replied. "And I mean like… all my skin at once."

"Now, may I continue without interruption?" Saya asked, not removing her foot from its placement on Touki's head. "I have two more members to announce and I would like to get it done without interruption."

"Now then, it is settled that that Miyuki Ashikawa is the Record Keeper. As for our next position, I wanted to focus on making sure that along with our physical needs that our students creative needs were also met. So, please welcome the Head of Creative Arts, Sora Hitose!"

"Huh… that's something, I guess." Sora said. "I didn't even really do anything."

"Sometimes doing nothing is better than doing something awful, Hitose." Saya said.

"...I never thought about that before, huh." Sora said with a shrug.

"And finally, our Head of Security, Airi Kudo." Saya announced.

"Cool, I didn't want the job anyway." Rinne said.

"You didn't know there was an opening for the job." Koba pointed out.

"Still wouldn't have wanted it," Rinne said with a smirk.

"Uh… why am I the Head of Security? I'm just a babysitter." Airi said, raising her hand.

"So you've claimed." Saya said. "However, given your lab and your… strange skillset.. I feel like that your title is some kind of cover story."

"And given your skills in hand-to-hand combat, you're more than capable of handling any rowdy students." Chiwa added, getting a nod from Saya.

"And that is the student council. Any questions?" Saya asked.

"Yeah, can we go now?" Yuuto asked.

"You… You can't just... " Saya stammered out, before giving a defeated sigh.

"We're not in your dumb student thingy, I kind of think we can leave if we wanted to." Yuuto pointed out. "Besides, you made your announcement, right? You don't need us for anything else, yeah?"

"Fine, leave then. You're all dismissed." Saya said, waving them off. "Airi, please take care of Kakihara's cigarette."

"Will do." Airi said, running after Daichi as he left. Saya having a blank stare as shouting began to fade into the hallway.

"Get the hell away from me! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Daichi called from down the hall.

"Well, that could have gone a lot better…" Saya said, shaking her head.

"I think it was a great presentation, Saya." Chiwa said, using Socrates' arm to pat Saya on the arm. Saya turned and gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Chiwa. So, what shall we do with the rest of the day?" she asked. "I would consider investigating, but Koba has kindly shared notes he's written on the new rooms."

"Hmm… well, we could go to the aquarium. I wanna watch the dolphins." Chiwa said.

"Certainly." Saya said. "I guess we can use this opportunity to talk. In the last four or five days I guess I'm not used to having free time again."

"We still have a time limit, but I feel like we should try and stick together and we'll make it out." Chiwa said as they began to leave the lounge. There was a small line formed at the elevator, students heading for different floors. After a few minutes, Saya and Chiwa entered the elevator alone.

The elevator soon stopped at the fifteenth floor, Saya and Chiwa stepping out and heading for the aquarium's lower floor. The two were bathed in the dark blue light of the room as the aquatic animals merely floated and swam over their heads. It looked like they were flying from how still the water was from underneath. Chiwa looked on with a wide smile on her face, walking closer to the wall to get in close to one of the dolphins.

"Hi, Mr. Dolphin!" Chiwa said in a chipper tone. She pressed Socrates' face to the plexiglass, where one dolphin swam up and bumped its snout against the glass. "Ehehehehe~"

Saya smiled and walked over to join her as the ocean life passed them by. "I'll admit I don't know the names of the other creatures that aren't dolphins. I'm not really a marine biologist." Saya said.

"You don't have to know everything about something to appreciate it existing, Saya. That's kind of the cool thing about being alive, y'know?" Chiwa said. "That's what Socrates told me."

"I've been meaning to ask you about Socrates." Saya replied. "Most people have moved on from that when they're your age. I could imagine it being fine when you're 7 and precocious but… won't people bully you once you're around people my age?"

"Well, they did, so I had to keep him at home for a long time, but they bullied me for being a kid anyway. They'll always find something to bully me about… Being smarter than them, being a kid, wearing glasses… I think it's just anything to make them feel less insecure." Chiwa admitted, hugging Socrates with one arm.

"So, why bring him along? Why not just keep him at home?" Saya asked. :If you don't mind telling me, of course."

"I need him." Chiwa said rather bluntly.

"...Need him?" Saya wondered, bending down to meet Chiwa's eyes.

"Everyone says I'm smart… My parents tell me I'm smart. They gloat to other people how smart I am. But… I don't feel smart." Chiwa said, looking at the floor. "I feel like… a big idiot who tricked everyone into thinking she's smart. But Socrates is actually smart." Chiwa explained. "I didn't want to skip 4 or 5 grades like everyone told me I should… I felt like people would find out I'm stupid."

"Chiwa, you're not stupid. You're a child prodigy, after all." Saya said, trying to be reassuring.

"The government gave me an IQ test to get into MENSA, and told me my IQ was 225 but… I wake up every morning and I just ask myself 'what am I even good at?' I'm not a scientist… or a biologist, or a doctor… It just feels like a number for my parents to feel good about themselves." Chiwa protested. "I consult Socrates on my tests and he knows all the right answers… But that's all I'm actually doing." Chiwa said, lifting the toy rabbit up to eye level. "And Socrates told me all tests are is just remembering things people have told you before."

"Do you ever think you could do a test by yourself if you have to?" Saya asked, curious. Chiwa gazed at a small fish floating by in the water by itself as she looked lost in thought.

"I… I don't know." Chiwa said, taking a soft sigh of discomfort.

Saya decided to pry a little further. "Why don't you know?"

Chiawa softly hugged her plush rabbit to her chest and looked back at her bespectacled elder. "Well.. I guess it's because mom and dad are ashamed of me still having Socrates as a friend." Chiwa explained. "They think it makes me look stupid or like I have some kind of mental hitch."

"But they want you to be mature and succeed, right?" Saya asked.

"Sometimes a little too much… It feels like my dad is pushing his failed goals onto me so I could complete them for him by proxy. He went into college at a young age and he had to leave because he was bullied…"

Saya took a seat at a nearby bench, as the rippling water cast a reflection on the two of them. Chiwa followed, taking a seat onto the chair as she sighed.

"You know… my father pushed a lot of his failed ambitions on me and my brother, too." Saya said, crossing her legs over one another. "My father tried to be a politician like another member of my family was… but he was lecherous and lacked the emotional fortitude of public office." Saya explained, adjusting her glasses. "He tried to make Shiro like him, become a successful politician in his place, despite my brother hating his guts for shaming our family name." Saya explained, getting a quiet nod in response.

"What did your father want you to be?" Chiwa asked.

"I'm… not sure. He never set any of those expectations for me, he just… he hated to deal with me, sometimes. I eventually decided to choose my own fate, and I became a class president through unwavering morals." Saya continued, leaning back on the bench as Chiwa gazed at the floor, feet kicking from being slightly too short to reach the ground. "He ruined my mother's life, I think I reminded him of her."

"This conversation is making me depressed…" Chiwa said with a soft sigh.

"Since this is a calm day… let's not get bustled too much with activities. Let's just take a break and enjoy the environment, alright?" Saya asked, taking on a kinder tone as Chiwa gave a quiet nod.

The two would continue spending time together in the aquarium to observe various animals and cheer Chiwa up as she got to look at species she'd never seen before. Eventually passing enough time so that when the two left, it was right after lunch.


End file.
